Fall Away
by vanessacarltonfan
Summary: Picks up, post finale. A story of letting go, and holding on. ...Kirk for selectman? And why is Jess in town? That's just the beginning... cause Dean's involved as well. What's in store for the Gilmore Girls?... read for details.
1. Made up your mind to leave it all behind

Disclaimer: Don't own, it'd be amazing if I did

**Disclaimer: I don't own, it'd be amazing if I did.**

_A/n: This is my first Gilmore Girls fan fic so please be kind, I do appreciate any suggestions you'd have to make the story better though. In case you're wondering this is as if the finale hadn't been the finale rather only the end of a season instead of the series. _

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"What'll you have?" Luke asked as Lorelai and Rory sat down to a table. It was unusually early for the diner to be open— and though, technically it wasn't, it was for his two favorite customers, Lorelai and Rory.

"I don't know but it's a lovely menu." Rory joked pretending as if she'd never been there before.

"I think it would help me if it had pictures." Lorelai added thus further teasing Luke. Then after looking at Rory she added, "I don't know, I think we need more time," and Rory's silence agreed.

Earlier they had decided to keep their morning tradition of heading over to Luke's for breakfast even though and especially because of Rory's departure later that day.

"More time it is." Luke agreed smiling at the both of them.

"Although in the meantime," Lorelai spoke suddenly as Luke was heading to the back to give them some time, "while we're deciding, how about some eggs? ...and bacon?" Lorelai suggested, but after taking a quick look at Rory she giggled before saying, "And some pancakes."

"Sure." Came Luke's simply reply as he continued on his way to the back.

Rory looked at her mom, noticing the necklace she was wearing - the same one Liz gave Luke as a gift for Lorelai, "Pretty necklace." She said.

"Thanks." Lorelai said touching it briefly.

"So? When were you planning to tell me?" Rory asked inquisitively.

"Tell you what?"

"That you and Luke are back together."

"No. No. We're not..." Lorelai began stating as Luke rummaged around the counter straightening things. She turned around once she heard Luke moving stuff around.

"What?" Luke inquisitively asked as he saw Lorelai look over at him.

"Rory thinks we're... you know." Lorelai babbled.

"'You know' What?" He asked having unheard the previous statements.

"Together." She announced trying halfheartedly to whisper it.

Luke didn't say anything he just gave a mock look conveying surprise. But, seeing Lorelai with the face she was giving him told him he had to lie his head off. So, he went on over to their table. "No, we're not...your mother and I aren't..." He babbled completely flustered, in fact, he was so flustered that he started using hand gestures from Lorelai to himself. He only stopped after babbling on for several minutes, but once he realized he'd embarrassed himself long enough he folded his hands across his chest defensively.

"Yeah, _that_," she said looking at Luke, "doesn't convince me." She said looking towards her mom.

"Nice job." Lorelai spat, faking annoyance with Luke.

"Don't blame me! I was fine with telling her." Luke announced offended that he was getting the blame for this.

"See." Rory proclaimed, vindicated.

Luke just threw his hands up in the air, and walked away. He couldn't win and he knew it. As he left, Lorelai just smiled. Then after a few seconds she put a wicked grin on her face and added, "I need to teach you how to lie better."

"Your mother and I kind of made up yesterday after the party." Luke said ignoring what Lorelai just said to him.

"Luke!" Lorelai huffed.

"What? Clearly, she knows." Luke said gesturing towards her daughter.

Lorelai turned looking at Rory suspiecously, joking around as if she didn't know whether her daughter knew or not. But Rory on the other hand, just sat there smiling enjoying their "fight."

"Yeah, I can see that Columbo. But where's the fun in just telling her, where's the drama? The suspense?" Lorelai said relishing the words. "Have you no desire for a little intrigue now and then?"

"Has she been watching 24 again?" Luke asked directing his attention to Rory.

"Yeah, even the re-runs," she replied saying it in a sad tone causing Luke to shrug and roll his eyes.

"Hey, What's wrong with watching Keifer Sutherland?" Lorelai inquired.

"Nothing. Except the more you watch it the more dramatic you are." Luke replied walking away. "Plus," he added turning back towards her, "you're almost more addicted to that show than coffee."

"Not true." Lorelai said turning to visually follow Luke.

"He said almost." Rory replied.

"What are you the preposition police?" Lorelai said turning to Rory.

"Actually... it's an adverb I think..." Luke said thinking about it.

"You too?!" Lorelai said.

They all stopped and laughed, enjoying their last moments -_together_.

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As Rory stood at the airport waiting to board the airplane, she and her mother stood there in silence for a little while. Then her flight was announced over the loudspeakers… the time had come and she was trying very hard not to cry.

"I love you, Rory." She heard Lorelai tell her. Rory hugged her back, trying to avoid thinking about how long it was going to be till they saw each other again.

Lorelai was facing the same emotions, but she was doing her best not to show them. During the ride here neither of them said to each other in order to hold it together, but now...well, now was the very last moment she would have to see her daughter –for a very, very, long time.

A tear fell from Rory's eyes, one which didn't go unnoticed. Lorelai held her even tighter after that as if she were protecting the most important thing in her life and never wanted to let it go. But then again, she was.

"I almost don't want to leave you, mom." Lorelai heard and she pulled from the embrace to look at her daughter. "Yeah, yes, you can." Lorelai said, still trying her best not to break out in tears too.

"No, I can't. I mean I can, I have before, but it's just I don't know when I'll see you again." But, before she could continue Lorelai cut her off, "Yes, you can. We'll see each other…" Lorelai replied, trying not to sound pessimistic. "I love you, kid."

"I love you too, mom." She said, hugging Lorelai tightly once again, but it broke off suddenly when the loudspeaker called again.

"Oy with the poodles already! We get it - board the plane or else!" Lorelai said, looking up to the ceiling as if they could listen, laughing. They backed up a couple steps from each other and Rory picked up her carry-on and called to someone behind Lorelai, who Lorelai hadn't noticed up till this point at all.

"Good-bye Luke!"

"Bye Kid! Wish you the best!" Luke called, as he waved glancing up from a magazine he was pretending to "read" so they didn't notice his presence.

Lorelai turned around completely shocked, as she hadn't noticed him once this whole time. She turned around again, as Rory walked to the hanger. And as Rory boarded the plane, Luke walked up behind Lorelai.

"She'll be fine." He assured her.

Lorelai barely noticed Luke wrapping him hands around her to hold her, "I know she'll be fine, but I'll just miss her is all." She said, still staring at the last place she saw Rory.

He turned her to face him, and he kissed her gently. "It's going to be okay." He said as he held her tightly.

And she buried herself in his chest.

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_A/n: Ah! So emotional. I actually cried during the finale. But, enough of that. If you want me to continue the story let me know. Any suggestions or thoughts would be good too. I'm really going to miss this show!_

_ (July 22, 2008) Chapter has been edited and revised for errors. Let me know if I missed something. Thanks._


	2. Forced to fight it out

Disclaimer: Don't own it, just crazy about it

**Disclaimer: Don't own it, just crazy about it. All flaws are my own of course.**

**On a side note I named this story after a song by the Fray (of the same title obviously). It made me think about the show and was the inspiration for this story. So the chapter and story titles are by the Fray.**

_A/n: Thanks to Curley-Q and glo1196 for the reviews I really appreciate them. _

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Lorelai woke up the next morning to the sound of a _crash_. At first, she was only startled and sat up in bed, but then, there was another _crash_. It wasn't quite as loud that time, but it was enough to make her aware of the fact she wasn't the only person in the house.

She grabbed an umbrella and started walking slowly and steadily towards the kitchen. And as she headed down the stairs she could hear the sounds of someone rummaging through the drawers and items.

When she finally approached the kitchen doorway she saw someone's body move suddenly causing her to unconsciously pop open the umbrella. The person in her kitchen, on the other hand, dropped something made of metal on the floor.

"I think I saw this in a movie once..." Luke said as he bent down to pick up the tongs he dropped only seconds before.

"Luke? What are you doing here?" She said fumbling to get the latch to work on her umbrella.

"Oh, well I uh... wanted to kind of come over see how you were, then I kinda figured I'd make you breakfast." While Lorelai, giving up any hope of closing the umbrella, sat what she could of it in the garbage can.

"What about the diner?" She said sitting down at her kitchen table.

"Oh, I have...Caesar watching it. Though I can only imagine what a hard time Kirk is giving him."

"Maybe you should give him a raise?" Lorelai suggested.

"Yeah, or just pay him overtime." Luke corrected.

They both smiled while Luke kept cooking.

At one point Lorelai got up and went over to the cupboards to get coffee mug. Then, after she poured herself some coffee, she leaned against the cabinets sipping her coffee.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Luke asked as he looked up briefly from the bacon he had begun to put on a plate. Lorelai didn't say anything for a minute but eventually replied, "Yeah, I think so."

"You sure?" Luke said, taking another look at her.

"So what's for breakfast?" She asked trying to push aside her maternal feelings for the time being. "Now that you've officially wrecked my kitchen." She said grinning, as she glancing around the room to the strewn pots, ladles, and who knew what else around her kitchen.

Luke gave her the dirtiest look. And smiled.

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Rory, on the other hand, woke up to a knock at her door. She went to the door and opened it to find a guy with a breakfast cart. She rubbed the side of her head trying to wake herself up "Come on in," she said gesturing as she moved out of the way.

"This is your 6 AM breakfast," the guy said, sensing her surprise. He continued with his explanation however, "All the people working on the campaign get breakfast with their wake-up call. It's what most people ask for, so we just started accommodating."

"Oh!" Rory said, starting to understand, "Well… thank you." She said feeling slightly more awake than she was moments ago.

"You're welcome. Here's your coffee and whatnot. If you like a certain coffee just let me know and we'll have one brewed for you tomorrow morning."

"Wow. And, thanks… again." She said as he headed towards the door.

"Sure thing," he smiled and shut the door behind him.

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Rory spent the next half-hour getting ready for her first day. And, just as she was about ready she heard a light knock at the door. Rory walked over to the door and looked out the peep hole, where she saw a blonde woman a few years older than herself, standing there waiting.

So, Rory opened the door to see who she was, and what she wanted, but before she could even ask, the blonde walked right on in.

"Hi, I'm Amy, we're getting a little bit of a late start, but here's your information on times, dates, events. Basically, it's going to be you Bible as long as you're working here. Are you ready to go?" She said, as he held out a bunch of papers and folders for Rory to take.

"Yeah, I think so, but I'm really not su..." and before she could even finish, 'Amy' had walked out of the room and stood waiting impatiently in the hallway outside her door.

Rory said nothing, even though she didn't like anything that was going on and would have preferred a little more explanation not to mention common courtesy, but she simply grabbed her things and followed the girl.

As she was shutting the door to her room, Amy headed off down the hall, and when Rory had turned around to follow her Rory practically had to run after the girl just to keep up. Suddenly "they" turned a corner, where Rory found some elevators and a bunch of other people waiting for it. All of whom appeared to be with the reporting staff as well, but Rory didn't get a chance to saying anything because as soon as she was ready to stop and greet some of her fellow workers, Amy, turned with a huff and headed down another hall. She pushed past the door marked "stairs" and headed down rather briskly.

"My name is..." Rory said as she raced down the stairs after the girl. She was trying to break the tension between them or whatever it was that was between them.

"Lorelai, I know," came her reply.

"Yes, but ...everyone just calls me Rory." She said, taking a breath.

Amy said nothing further as they made their way down a couple floors (to where the main conference room was located). She—Amy— just continued to walk at her, what Rory could only assume was her normal pace, down the halls. As Amy was about to turn a corner she looked at her watch anxiously and broke out into a run! Rory couldn't be sure, but only assumed that they must be late— so she ran after the girl. "I must look like an idiot" she thought as she ran. She was in heels and did her best to hang on to (for dear life) the papers and other items Amy had given her that morning.

Eventually, they made it to the conference room doors and Rory took notice of the fact Amy had stopped running and walked in as calmly as if she were window shopping, so she slowed down as well.

Rory followed her on in but when she looked around at the conference room she didn't see another soul in the room.

"Barely on time." She heard Amy mutter to herself, shaking her head as she glanced up from her watch. Amy walked off as Rory stood there; she had no clue what to do now. Just then a bunch of people came in the double doors behind her. They weren't running—heck, they didn't even look rushed! But there they were… talking, laughing, it was nice. Quite a contrast from the other girl.

Rory watched as the people filed in and heading to their own little work stations. The nervousness in her stomach grew as more and more people came in because here she was—her first day—without a clue. Then something or someone bumped into the back of her. When she turned around she saw another girl hunched over the floor picking up a bunch of papers and other items she had just dropped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run into you like that." the girl said as she started to pick up the papers.

"No, its okay actually...I'm new around here so I'm not sure of where I'm supposed to be ….and I was in your way, I'm sorry." Rory blurted— her anxiety was getting the best of her.

"Thanks." the girl said as Rory handed her a pile of the papers. "You're new?" The girl asked, "I've only been here a couple weeks myself, but if you like I'll be happy to show you around a bit." The girl said finally standing up with her retrieved papers.

"I'd really appreciate that." Rory said rather relieved.

"My name's Peyton." She said carefully trying to shift her things. She was a redhead with white highlights and despite what Rory would have normally thought of the contrast it was a good look for the girl.

"I'm, Rory."

"So, no one showed you were to go or anything?" Kayla asked as she started to walk to one of the work areas.

Rory followed the girl and replied, "Well, Amy gave me..."

Peyton, however, stopped abruptly upon hearing those words and said "Wait! Say no more." She said shaking her head, "She gave you your "Bible" and made you run halfway here?" There was a slight pause which Peyton took as a sign of affirmation and to Rory's surprise she started laughing.

"She does that a lot I take it?"

"Yeah." Peyton nodded sadly, "And yeah, you're definitely new." Peyton said raising her eyebrows with a smile, as she stopped at one of the tables and sat her papers down. She motioned for Rory to do the same before adding, "Amy's the first one here everyday and the last to leave— and by the first one here, I mean like 15 minutes or more before anyone else. If she's not, well… you can probably imagine." she said.

"Yeah, why is she like that?"

"She likes to scare the new recruits and enforce her "laws" on everyone. It's like we're all back in the 5th grade and the older kids are putting their unwritten rules upon all of us." She said looking over the expanse of the room, "She's Angelica and we're Tommy and Chucky… maybe Phil and Lil… I don't know." She said with a sigh, "Let me tell you the first day..._my_ first day..." she said leaning closer to Rory, "she had me down here a half hour early… and what was I doing," she asked Rory, "running to Starbucks to pick up her double shot of espresso and a sugar-free muffin!" She said annoyance protruding her voice.

"Wow." Rory said shaking her head in disbelief.

"All I'm saying is, she's like that, and you don't have to take most of, if any of her crap. As long as you do your work, however you like to work, for whomever you work and don't just waste time and bug everyone else, she can't do anything to you." Then changing the tone of the conversation she asked, "So did you just graduate?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Oh, from where?"

"Yale." Rory said, simply. In all honesty she felt a little awkward graduating from Yale and working here.

"Really? Yale?" Peyton said, she was definitely surprised.

"Yup...where'd you go?" Rory asked, wanting to learn a little more about this girl.

"N.Y.U., it's not as great as Yale, well, in the 'prestigious' sort of way, but it works. Besides I couldn't afford to pay the… what was it? 47 thousand a year?

"Yeah, I believe me I know, my grandparents paid my tuition."

"That must have been nice." Peyton said, her jaw dropping a little in jealousy.

"It was. Where are we going?" Rory asked noticing that they were headed toward a group of people in the corner.

"I want you to meet some of my friends, not to mention fellow reporters."

"Hey guys." Peyton said to the group in general.

"Hey!" greeted one of the girls who was headed towards them. A couple of the guys were on the phones and they just waved or nodded, all of whom seemed in a good mood.

"So Peyton who is this?" the girl asked as one of the guys hung up their phone just then.

"This is Rory, she's new... and she also just graduated from _Yale_."

"Yale? Nice college. I'm Jamie by the way." she said as she extended her hand. She had brown hair, silver glasses, and a few freckles and she seemed like a really sweet girl. Rory shook her hand as they introduced her to the guys…

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_A/n: Ok, so suggestions? Comments? Other? I have big plans for this story and consequently, I'm really excited about it. I just mapped out the plot yesterday due to some much needed inspiration. I'm hoping to get more written as soon as possible. Well, thanks for reading the chapter, more to come!_

_-- (July 24, 2008) This chapter has just been edited and fixed for errors. I hope I got all of them out of here. Let me know if something major springs your way._

She's Angelica and we're Tommy and Chucky… maybe Phil and Lil…: Reference to _The Rugrats, _Angelica ordered what she called "the babies" around in every episode. Also my cousins loved this show.


	3. Fall Away

1Disclaimer: I don't own the Gilmore Girls

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Gilmore Girls. I'm just one of the many crazed fans. Oy with the poodles already! (Also: Chapter titles from "Fall Away" by the Fray.)**

_A/n: Ok, I can't begin to tell you how hard it was to come up with this chapter. I literally couldn't think of anything to write and so I wrote chapter 4 before this. I knew where the story was heading, but honestly this chapter was the toughest one to write so far. I know I was excited when I thought of this chapter and I hope you enjoy it. Let me know via review please? Thanks._

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"Martin". The guy sitting closest to Rory said, as to introduce himself to her. He had just hung up the phone he had been using and walked over to greet her more properly. He was blonde and as Rory took a moment to look at him, he was defiantly athletic.

"Hey, I'm Rory," she replied getting up. "Like Rose said, that's Scott," he said pointing to a nerdy looking kid in the corner, he had dark glasses and a striped collared shirt and long brown hair. He reminded her of Kirk, except as much as it did-- it didn't. "Scott's not much into the whole taking breaks at work, so you'll probably have to wait until lunch or after work ends to really meet him, but he's nice." Martin said continuing.

"That's Tyler." To which Tyler, upon hearing his name, looked up, waved and mouthed "hey" before continuing with his phone call. He was African-American, who either played basketball or loved the sport. As his office space (the part that wasn't covered in papers that is) was all decked out in basketball gear- that and under the sleeve of his dress shirt was a wristband also proclaiming his love of the game.

"So this is your first day right?" Martin asked. "Uh, yeah, it is." Rory said a little off guard- she was still taking everything in. "You want to grab dinner with us— the guys, me, and Rose that is." He said trying to make it not seem as if he was asking her out. "We go a couple nights a week, and since you're new, we could help fill you in, maybe even meet some of the other people... or just eat." He added with a smile. "Sure sounds great." She said, politely.

"Okay, I'll get Rose to let you know what time we plan on going, but I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah," She replied, before both went their separate ways.

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"Do you realize what day it is?" Lorelai said almost jogging into Luke's Diner.

"Uh...Monday?" Luke said half serious, teasing her, but…when he saw her reaction he gave up all attempts at recovering the failure of the joke. "Okay sorry... it's Thursday. Why?"

"Oh nothing." She started off in her flustered fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore voice. "It's _just_ Thursday! Almost a complete week since I last saw my daughter...you know 5'6" brown hair answers to the name, 'Rory'."

Luke looked down to the counter to pick up a few dirty plates a customer had just left. "Ok, ok. Just calm down I'm sure everything's perfectly fine she's just probably busy or something." Then he turned from putting the dishes in a basin and saw her frantically holding the calendar looking at the 5 days it had been since she last heard from Rory.

"Hey." Luke grumbled. "Would you put that down?" He said as he grabbed the calendar right out of her hands and sat it back down. She, on the other hand, he directed to one of the stools on the opposite side of the counter.

"But Luke, it's been a week." Lorelai said, unhappily.

"Yeah, and where was 'this' when she was at Yale for 4 years?" Luke asked her poignantly.

"But..." she began her protest as she thought for a moment. "I knew I was going to see her...every Friday in fact because of 2 great things in life. One, my mother and her meddling, forceful, bribing ways in which she got Rory to agree to go to Friday night dinner in exchange for paying off College. And two, laundry!"

"I thought you hated your mother?" Luke asked, surprised that those words even came out of Lorelai Gilmore's mouth. "Besides it's been five days and last I checked it took seven days to make a week."

"Whatever." She said, shrugging off his reply, "And, I do." She said, agreeing simply to his previous question.

"...And Friday night dinner with said 'hated mother'." Luke continued, clearly taken by surprise to this sudden reaction.

"I do." She agreed a little less gleefully.

"Not to mention laundry..." Luke jabbed.

"Alright, fine! You want me to admit it?" Lorelai asked sensing his tease, "Fine, I do tend to… disagree… with her, but honestly? I have to admit, she did do something right for once. With her crazy, archaic sense of decorum- I saw Rory, I saw, my daughter. I mean, I expected a post card or something from her by now. I bought her post cards." Lorelai babbled, and then suddenly she thought of something. "Wait, I did buy her postcards didn't I? I mean I think I did. Do postcards come with prepaid stamp or do you have to tack some on?" She said, fumbling to remember, meanwhile Luke just stood there listening to her "rant".

"Maybe... She was about to mail them and realized she had to put a stamp on them and then with the whole 41 cent stamp change she realized she didn't have the right stamps or ..."

"Lorelai? Chill." Luke said cutting her off, "First, I'm pretty sure postcards have prepaid stamps-- it's figured into the cost of the post card or something like that; and two, here drink this." He said grabbing a mug and a coffee pot and then poured a cup in front of her.

"Your right I'm just lonely is all." Lorelai said, sipping the coffee Luke had just finished pouring. "She is an adult now. I sent her to Yale, they taught her about stamps…" She said, pretending to still be worried, waiting for Luke's reaction, which she received in the form of a raised eyebrow "You know what? I feel better."

"Good." He said simply, as he turned to get back to work.

"Hey Luke?"

"What?" he grumbled as he fiddled with some plates.

"Can I get something to eat?" She questioned.

But instead of saying something, he just turned around and stared at her… While she, all the while grinned back at him. _He'd cave._

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Two weeks had passed and Sookie was busy cooking in the Inn's kitchen as per her usual. Michel, on the other hand, had been trying to get her attention for the past ten minutes and so far… she hadn't heard a word of it.

"Sookie?" Michel asked desperately trying to get her to listen to him.

"Michel what are you doing in my kitchen?" Sookie asked completely amazed.

"I've been trying to get you attention that's what I'm doing!" He grumbled in irritatation with his French accent.

"You have?" Sookie questioned, amazement shown on her face. "Where's the fire?"

"There better not be a fire here." Michel said, all the while nervously looking around for one.

"I'm not saying there is." Sookie said turning from the soup she had been stirring. She took notice of his poking around the kitchen before adding, "I'm just saying that ...why are you so anxious?"

"Because I've...never mind. Can you do something about her?"

"Her? Who?" Sookie asked clearly confused.

"Her." He stated. "Lorelai." He added for clarification.

"Why? What's wrong with Lorelai?" She asked, heading over to the sink.

"You're her best friend and you didn't notice?"

"Notice what?!"

"Okay that's it. Come with me." Michel said grabbing Sookie by the arm as they head out to the main desk.

"Michel? What's going on?" She demanded. The she saw her; she saw Lorelai standing behind the desk trying to straighten things that were already in perfect order. She stopped when her eyes momentarily glanced over to a picture she had of Rory and her.

"I saw that." Sookie said finally releasing herself from Michel's grasp.

"Saw what?" Lorelai said trying to look not guilty.

"Saw you stare at Rory's picture just now. Not to mention that you just disorganized the already clean desk and then put it back so it looked exactly as you started." Every word made Lorelai feel a little more like pouting.

"Why don't you do something?" Sookie suggested.

"Like?" Lorelai asked, almost as if she were still a little kid asking her mom what she should do on a day when she "couldn't think of anything."

"I don't know write her, e-mail her, leave a pleasant voice mail? Nobody said you couldn't."

"Nah... I'll be fine."

"Maybe you should start one of those chat board things." Sookie suggested.

"And what? End up meeting someone like _NY152_?" Lorelai sarcastically retorted.

"Seriously... maybe you should go do something." Sookie said, pressing the issue.

"Your right, I should. I know. I've been fine the past couple weeks except for the one or two times at Luke's, but let's just forget about that."

"Speaking of Luke, how's that whole thing going for you?"

"Thing? What thing?"

"You know precisely what I'm talking about. How long have you two been back together?" Sookie asked, kind of curious.

"Back together? What do you mean 'back together'? There is no 'back together'."

"Yes. There is." Sookie said adamantly.

"No... Fine yes. About 2 weeks." Lorelai said banging her head on the wall next to her.

"Two weeks?!" Sookie said practically shouting with joy.

"Shhhhh..." Lorelai shushed, trying to keep it quiet for the guests as well as keep Michel from hearing.

"Two weeks and you didn't tell me? I knew you missed Rory and I was trying to give you your space and let you deal with it. So I stayed out of it, but come on two weeks?!"

"Sookie I'm sorry. I just didn't know how this was going to work out and I didn't want to jinx anything or tell you something that wasn't going to work out. I promise I'll fill you in from now on."

"Ok. You better. So?"

And Lorelai just sat at the desk answering all of Sookie's questions about her relationship.

"Hey Rory?" Rose said heading over to Rory's work space, which was only a few desks away.

"Just a sec." Rory said while finishing up something on her computer. Meanwhile Rose came over and waited for her to finish up faster. Rory was finally done and she looked up to see Rose standing there. "What's up?" She asked.

"Do you have plans for Friday?" Rose asked practically bubbling over with excitement.

"Not unless you have a transporter..." and seeing the confused expression she moved on and said "I'll explain later. Why?"

"Because I want to know if you want to go to a party then. Everyone's going to be there it's sort of a tradition before the campaign moves. And there's this really cute guy who's going to be there. "

"Really who?"

"Nah uh, not telling you. You'll just have to come and see."

"I guess I could go for a little while." Rory said, giving in.

"Thank you! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" Rose said squealing with delight.

"You're welcome. So is it someone from work?" Rory whispered as she got up and went around her desk.

"Nope, but a friend of mine from the restaurant tells me that this guy I have a big crush on just made reservations."

"So, what, you're stalking him?!" Rory asked a little dumbfounded.

"No, I'm not stalking him. But whoever's hometown it is, picks the restaurant we go to on the last day, in that city and I chose this restaurant 3 weeks ago."

"Wait you _live_ here?" She asked.

"Yeah, I do. Why?"

"Because I didn't know that, I thought we all weren't from around here and now I find out that you live here."

"Well, now you know." Rose said with a smirk. "So you'll come?" Rose said preparing to head back to her own desk.

"Yeah, I'll go." Rory said giving in.

"Good! And thanks, Rory." Rose thanked as she watched Rory answer the ringing phone. She looked up and smiled, Rory smiled back and Rose left shortly there after.

**-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- **

**Later that week …Friday Night.**

"Lorelai." Emily Gilmore seeing her daughter on the other side of the doorway.

"Hey. Mom? What are you doing answering the door?" asked Lorelai as she walked inside.

"Oh the maid's sick or something." Emily replied seemingly annoyed.

"Don't you have like four more or something?" Lorelai quipped.

But before she got a response from her mother she was greeted with, "Lorelai!"

"Hi, Dad."

"Well, don't you look nice tonight?" Richard said.

"Uh, thanks." Lorelai said rather suspicious, she looked nice but she'd worn fancier stuff before.

"You do look quite nice." Emily added.

"Drinks?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, sure." Lorelai said.

"So how is everything?" Emily asked. She seemed quite bubbly tonight.

"Everything's fine."

"Is everything fine with the Inn?" Richard said returning with the glasses.

"Yeah, business is really picking up."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Meanwhile, Rory was putting the finishing touches on her outfit when she received a knock at her door.

"You ready?" Rose asked as soon as Rory opened the door to her hotel room.

Grabbing her purse Rory said, "Yeah just a sec."

And as they headed out the door Rory asked her, "You said 6 o'clock right?"

Rose stopped and said curiously "Yeah, I did. Why?"

And before she could start walking again Rory said, "Because you seem in a big rush and hold on." Rory then took a moment and looked down at her watch. "Okay, now it's 5:58. I'm sorry I kept you waiting negative 2 minutes."

"Right sorry, I'm just really anxious. Not just about seeing that guy I know that's what you think. It's just, after tonight we're going to be leaving tomorrow afternoon, and I just want to spend time enjoying myself and not dwelling on it. My parents are going to be coming later and so everything is just, well; jumbled emotionally."

"It's okay. I get it. Everything will be fine." Rory said trying to be extra supportive under the circumstances.

"Thanks." Even though Rose looked like she wanted to say something more or enjoy the tender emotional moment, Rory decided to try to keep them both from welling over and simply said, "Shouldn't we get going you don't want to be early do you?"

"Yeah." Rose said and they strolled down to the elevators together before the elevator came Rose was heard saying. "You mean negative 2 minutes late don't you?" They both laughed as they headed off to the party.

"Dinner's served." A maid came out and said.

"I thought you had more maids than that!" Lorelai exclaimed coming to a revelation as they made their way toward the dining room.

"Of course we have several maids Lorelai. Don't you remember?" Richard said, puzzled.

"Uh… yes, I do. The trouble was Mom didn't." which caused Emily to look at Richard who was behind her.

Once they sat down, the conversation was the usual talk about business and whatnot. Until, Emily posed a question.

"So have you heard from Rory?"

There was a long pause; it was unusual for Rory not to be there at Friday dinner, not that she hadn't missed once or twice before, but with her missing the past three dinners, it just seemed wrong somehow.

"Uh, no I haven't." She said very meekly.

Dinner was rather quiet after that except for the usual business topic or D.A.R. conversation that is until… dessert.

"Okay, I can't take it anymore. What's going on?" asked Lorelai.

Emily and Richard just looked at each other until Richard spoke up saying, "Nothing, why?"

"Because! Because, you both are either acting like crazy people who just stowed a body away in a window seat or quieter than if you were in Church."

"Well, nothing's wrong." Richard said.

"I didn't ask if anything was wrong, just what was going on."

"Rory." Emily said almost cutting off the end of Lorelai's sentence.

"Rory? What about Rory?" Lorelai asked slightly panicked.

"Nothing it's just that we weren't sure…we didn't know that…how…"

Richard interrupted, "What your mother is trying to say Lorelai is that we're glad you're still coming to Dinner with us even though Rory isn't here..."

"Hey guys." said Tyler as they were about to tell the maitre d' which party they were with.

"They're with us." He said to the host while grabbing Rory by the shoulders and guiding them to the room. He let her go once they got out of the Host's visual range.

"Some times I think the way those guys act about who comes in that they could have been bouncers in a former life." Tyler said leading the way.

"Who said anything about former? Their like the Soup Nazi." Rose added.

"Or something from the Godfather." Rory said.

"You know your right. I hadn't even thought of the Godfather until you mentioned it." Tyler remarked turning to Rory as he said it. And it seemed to her that he was surprised a girl actually knew about the Godfather.

As they were ten feet away from the table Rose stopped Rory, "There _he_ is." Rory looked to where she was pointing and she didn't even think before... "Oh my gosh..."

"I know isn't he dreamy?" Then Rose looked at Rory who was standing there open-mouthed and on the verge of running out. It was Logan.

"Wait, what's wrong?" Rose asked turning to her friend.

"Nothing. I know him that's all." Rory said, trying to play it cool.

"You know him?!" Rose asked, dumbfounded.

"Let's go." Rory said heading to their table half-dragging Rose with her.

Rose stopped her, "No. Something's wrong. A person doesn't give the face you just gave without something being wrong. You know Logan Huntsberger?"

"Yeah, we dated." Rory said looking more and more uncomfortable.

"I take it that it didn't end well? No wait, never mind. Forget I asked. Do you want to go somewhere else? I...I don't mind and I'm sure the guys wouldn't." Rose said trying her best to console Rory in some way shape or form.

"No...No... Let's just go eat and enjoy our last night huh?" Rory said trying to hide her emotions.

"You sure? Cause just tell me if your not, and we'll go. Promise." Rose said.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go."

"'Kay" said Rose.

So for a while Tyler, Rory, Scott, and Martin sat talking about Colleges, movies, the latest Hollywood breakups, and that sort of thing.

Then everyone started going to the bar and got their selves some drinks. Rose talked to some of the other girls about what they missed most about Home and then the girls got all teary eyed and homesick. Rory? Well, Rory was feeling her own kind of sick...

_Come on Rory pull yourself together. Just go do something. Mingle...anything. Ignore him the jerk. Jerk? Yeah, jerk. _

But her thoughts kept going back to that day when he'd asked her to marry him. She'd wanted to say yes, she had. But… he'd expected too much from her too soon. Her thoughts dwelled there and it was some time before she'd even convinced herself to get a drink at the bar.

So Rory got up and was headed to the bar when Martin crossed paths with her and stopped her. "Hey where are you going?" he asked.

"Just wanted to go get a drink. I'll be back." Rory said trying to stay out of his radar; she definitely didn't want to have to explain things to him, especially tonight- preferably not ever.

"Okay, hurry back." He smiled sincerely.

As she placed her order to the bartender and waited, she turned and saw Logan standing not five feet down the bar from her. He saw her and headed over. _"Great..." _her head sarcastically said.

"Hi." He said flatly in fact, rather coolly.

"Hey." She said trying to be kind. "How are things going for you?" Not that she wanted to start much of a conversation with him, but she figured it would be okay to ask.

"Uh fine." He said flatly.

"That's good. Your job? Is it going good?" She asked, she couldn't help the fact she had been wondering how he was or what was going on in his life, and hey, at least she was being polite about the situation.

"Yeah." He said as the bartender put some drinks on the counter and Logan pointed to two of them before saying, "I'm supposed to get some Olives in these."

"How many you want?" The bartender asked.

"One in this," he said handing the glass, "and two for the other." Logan nodded to the two girls over at his table ignoring Rory as she stood there witnessing it all.

"I'll be back I need to go grab olives." The bartender said addressing Logan.

"Logan?"

"What?!" Logan asked snippily turning from looking toward his friends.

"Are you okay? I just wanted to ask you a question." Rory said slightly hurt.

"Why? Because you think that's going to get us back together? Or do you just want to not feel guilty for something? You can't Rory." Logan said so harshly that he almost forgot what he was waiting for.

"Wait, this is totally unfair. I just thought since we ran into each other we could just be friendly. I'm not over here begging to come into your life again."

"Yeah? And why's that? Because I'm not worth it?" he said, pain showing in his eyes.

"I never said that." Rory said, trying to reason with him.

"No, you didn't. You just said you wouldn't marry me." He turned away. But when he turned back a few seconds later he added, "Because you know what Rory? You tell me that 'You need to think about it.' But you don't know whether this is what you want at all. You're willing to leave everything behind for who knows how long? But you're not willing to leave it…for me? I learned something being away from you Rory… I learned I don't need you." And this time he left never getting the olives.

Rory watched as he took the drinks to the girls then sat down next to one of them and gave her the other he was holding. Before Rory could look away the girl sitting to his right leaned into him and kissed him square on the mouth.

As Rory turned her face away from them…from him, the Bartender had come back and he looked for the young man whose drinks he was working on but never laid eyes on him.

Rory and the bartender locked eyes for a moment- tears were filling her eyes- he was completely unaware of the previous scene. When she felt she could hold back no longer she made her way as quickly as she could to the entrance of the restaurant and bolted out the doors and into the darkness.

By this time the tears had almost completely blinded her vision and she made her way across the street. She saw a bench up ahead near some bushes and made her way over to it. The moment she sat down, however; her sobs and tears overpowered her and she just cried into the palms of her hands.

Several minutes passed by and she looked up to see a shadowy figure running across the street to the bench she was sitting on. The form stood in front of her and said, "Rory?"

"Y...yeah?" came her response.

"Rory what's wrong? What happened?" The form said sitting down beside her.

"Dean?" Rory asked looking up.

"Yeah, it's me." He said the note of concern was not hidden in his voice.

"What are you doing here?" She asked still partially lost in her sorrow.

"Visiting Lindsey's lawyer. But that's not important right now... What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Rory said she didn't want to have to tell anyone- especially him and ex- about her problems with Logan.

"Come on we both know something's wrong. Did you think I'd forget what you look like when something's bothering you? I suppose the tears and crying on a bench in the middle of nowhere might give it away though." She smiled slightly, but it quickly faded back to her former countenance. "Please?" he begged.

"I just ran into an ex of mine." She said hoping he'd drop it.

"Who? Jess?" Dean asked, a little bitterly.

"No. Logan." She said sniffling.

"Logan? Huntsberger?" He questioned. She nodded wiping her eyes with her hand. "What did he _do_?" he asked, sounding more concerned than before.

"Nothing... well, not like that. It's just...we...we kind of had an argument tonight."

"I thought you said he was an ex? You didn't break up tonight did you?"

"No." She retorted.

"What did he do?" Dean asked slowly almost as if every word where it's own sentence.

Fresh tears glittered down the front of her face at the thought of telling him. Dean put his arm around her but she tried to move away.

"Rory?"

"Dean, please?" Rory said slightly upset. "Can't you just leave this alone?" she pleaded.

"No. No, I can't." He said very simply. She looked at him his eyes seemed like they were trying to will her to tell him the truth. She gave in.

"When Logan and I broke up, well... before, he asked me to marry him." She took another second to check and see whether Dean wanted her to continue or not. Since she saw no signs, she continued, "I told him that I needed to think about it. He had it all planned, where we would live- everything. He even proposed in front of my family right before I graduated. I just wasn't sure I was ready to get married- leave Stars Hollow behind for good. It wasn't even that though. I wasn't really ready for a decision like that—not now. It was just too soon. But he wouldn't hear of it. He told me that I either went with him now, or never." She explained as a tear silently fell down the corner of her eye.

He reached up and wiped it off. "You said, no." It wasn't a question, an accusation, or anything of the kind. It sounded as if he understood. "And what happened tonight?" He inquired.

"I...ran into him at a restaurant. I was out with some friends from work...it's our last night in the city." She explained a little absentmindedly, "and we went out as sort of a going away party. But when I went to the bar to get a drink and he was there. I tried to say hi. See how he was and all, but he just blew up at me. It doesn't even matter what he said so much, but he was there with some girls and I just didn't really need that right now."

"Rory, it's not your fault." Dean said trying to comfort her.

"How do you know that?" She asked desperately. "He told me how he thinks I didn't care about him and how he doesn't care about me. He pointed out that I'm willing to leave everything behind for a job… but not him and the worst part is… the more I think about it the more I have to say he's right."

"No he's not."

"Yes. He is. He's exactly right. I didn't deserve him and... I didn't deserve you." Rory said bursting out into sobs. "I didn't deserve you then and I sure don't deserve you now." She said about to get up and leave but he held her there with his arm that was still around her.

"Hey? Come here." He said trying to pull her over to his shoulder. "Dean..." she said beginning her protest. "You like crying on my shoulders remember?" She smiled ever so slightly and allowed herself to fall onto his shoulder. She cried for a long time before she asked him a question.

"Dean? Why were you out meeting Lindsay's lawyers?" She asked pulling away.

"It's complicated."

"In the divorce she got most of our money, but apparently she wasn't as faithful as she claimed to be either." Rory said completely dumbfounded and she wiped her face free from any signs of tears.

"Yeah, like I said it's a long story." Dean replied noticing the surprise in her face, "But basically I'm here because the lawyer is and he is trying to award me some of the money back."

"Are you serious? I'm so sorry..." Rory sympathized.

"It's alright, we just had to finish some paperwork so... that's why I'm here." Rory gave him a look of complete understanding. "So you got a job with a campaign?"

"Yeah I did, well kind of. It's more reporting and journalism. I'm writing for an online political newspaper."

"Well that's great you're really making your dream come true." Dean said impressed.

"Yeah, kind of." Rory said, not as impressed as he.

"Miss your mom?" Dean asked guessing.

"Yeah a little." Rory admitted.

"Have you talked to her recently?" He asked almost reading into the situation.

"No, I haven't...I've been trying to, but it's just been pretty crazy trying to get use to it all."

"She must be losing her mind not talking to you in so long."

"Probably," she said. Then there was a pause between them, it had been nice to see each other. It kind of brought a piece of home to her even if the circumstances were lousy.

"Well I should probably go, I need to pack yet. We're leaving tomorrow." Rory explained standing up.

"Do you need to tell your friends where you are?" Dean asked rising as well.

"I'll call them..." Rory said, not intending to go back into the restaurant after everything.

"Alright... Do you have a ride?"

"It's alright...I'll..."

"At least let me call you a cab."

"Okay I'm a cab."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny...but how about it?" Dean said.

"Okay."

He called a cab and secretly paid the taxi driver before she even knew about it. He watched as she got in the car and drove off before him, himself headed off in a very different direction...

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Lorelai debated going in Luke's relatively empty diner as she headed home from her parents'. Once she had decided though, she pulled her jeep over and went in.

"I thought you'd be at Dinner with your parents?" Then he looked at her really closely she was pretty close to crying.

"Lor? What's wrong? What happened?" He said coming from the other side of the counter. She looked around the diner deciding whether or not she really wanted to discuss it there in that place. "Come on." He said directing her upstairs. Once they got there he opened the door a directed her to a chair.

"I was at Dinner with my parents tonight and they were acting strange. My parents kept complementing me, and either they were really excited and complementy." To which Luke got confused on the usage of the word "complementy" not to mention where it came from.

"Anyway they were quiet for a while during dinner except for the occasional talk about business and stuff. Then they bring up whether I've talked to Rory! And when I told them I hadn't spoken to her they got all quiet like Helen Keller-ish and then when I asked them what was going on. They said nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Your parent's really said nothing?"

"Yes."

"So what's bothering you then?"

"After that I got them to explain what was going on."

"And?"

"They said they were happy to have me at Dinner. They said that they were surprised that I would actually still come even though Rory couldn't. And it made me feel bad you know?" Luke looked at her with sad eyes agreeing.

"Not just about Rory, but the fact that if I hadn't had Rory there would be no dinners." Lorelai started, talking faster and faster. "I wouldn't be speaking to my parents most likely, and just…" She broke down and started crying. Luke pulled her close and she sat there in his arms for a minute or two before Luke broke in with, "So you're not impressed that you got your parents to crack?" Lorelai laughed face still wet with tears and she just held on to him for dear life.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

He headed into the restaurant. He was stopped by the Host who asked him whose party he was with. He asked which table Logan Huntsberger was at and the Host gladly pointed him in the right direction. Dean tried to cool him anger, but found it raging as he got nearer to the table.

"Are you Logan?" Dean asked noticing the girl he was with. He also fought the urge to say something about her as well, but since it wasn't her fault this guy was a jerk he let it be.

"Yeah I am. Why?" Logan asked curiously.

"Cause I need to talk to you about something- alone."

"Oh, I see... I'll be right back Evelyn." He got up and they walked to a secluded part of the restaurant before Dean started talking.

"What's wrong with you Dude?" Dean asked.

Logan taken back a minute said, "What do you mean what's wrong with me? Who are you?"

"Why do you insist on treating Rory that way?" Dean said ignoring the question.

Logan looked at him with an annoyed understanding. He knew why this guy was here.

"Look I don't know how you know Rory but whatever it is this doesn't concern you." Logan said starting to head back to the table.

"Oh I think it does." Dean said grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back.

"Why? Who made you in charge?" Logan said with a certain amount of defiance.

"No one, but I'm apparently the only one of us who actually cares about her."

"Oh, I see. She must be your girlfriend then huh?"

"No."

"Because if she were I'd tell you to leave her now."

"That's it!" Dean said, his anger taking control and he grabbed Logan by the shirt collar. "Now, I'm going to put it into simple terms for you. Leave Rory Gilmore alone, if fate should ever force you into the same room again- leave her be. And if you ever hurt her like you did tonight…well, your smart enough, I'll let you figure it out." Then he let go of Logan and watched as Logan headed back to his table. Logan shifted in his seat, seeing that "the guy" was still watching him.

Dean went outside moment later and dialed a number on his cell phone.

_Ring… Ring…_

"Come on, pick up!" He said to himself between rings.

"Hello?" the other end of the phone said.

"Yeah, look. I know I said I'd never call you, but we need to talk…"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_A/n: (Added July 18, 2008) _

_This chapter was just edited, and updated. So, hopefully all the bugs and errors have been worked out of this chapter. Sorry, it took so long to do, but its 15 pages in Word. Let me know if you find any other major errors that I might have missed –thanks!_

_NY152: the AOL screen name used by Tom Hanks' character in __**You've Got Mail**__._

_Burying a body in the window seat: Reference to the two women in "Arsenic and Old Lace," who were rather insane and stowed bodies in the window seat of their house until they could burry them in the basement. No one ever guessed because they were constantly happy in disposition._


	4. The One You Can't Erase

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing related to Gilmore Girls

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing related to Gilmore Girls. The Chapter titles are all lyrics from the song, Fall Away, by The Fray. **

_A/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter, added me to their alerts, and etc. I thank you from the bottom of my heart!_

**-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- **

It was late when Rory decided to call her mom a week later. She had planned on calling before this, but everything seemed to be getting in the way of it. And although, she had only been working for a few weeks, her workload was pretty hefty. First, they had to find out when and what Obama was speaking on, then attend the function or at least watch the entire feed online and write articles about it. Sometimes, depending who you worked for, you had to get pictures and in her case, there were a couple of times where she was required to write her story from a different viewpoint than that of others. So, while everyone else was writing what he said, she had to share 'what' and 'the effect' or maybe next time 'what' and the way it was received to the people present… what it meant to them, how it would be viewed, different things like that and so it kept her quite busy. Not to mention the travel time and packing. If this was what it meant to be president—Rory Gilmore definitely didn't want a part of it, it was exhausting!

Right now she was packing her things up, they were leaving in a couple hours and she had had a big article to finish writing before she could start packing. In truth, it wasn't due until 11 tonight, and that was so her editor could proof it before it was posted, and she could have worked on it on her computer before her plane left, but she knew she'd be too distracted not to mention that she'd lose her train of thought.

Finally, she had sat down for a minute letting her mind wander a bit. She could only imagine what was going on at home and what she'd be doing if she was there now. She wanted to be there—to relax. But she had been so busy that between eat, sleep, wash clothes, and write. She hadn't had time to do much else. She hadn't even turned on her since once at their last hotel last week. So, if ever there was a prime example of being burnt out—she was it. She wanted to be home, on her own bed, killing time, talking to Lane. Something!

Then she glanced at her watch, 6:50. She could call now; she had about twenty minutes before she had to leave for the airport anyway.

So, Rory picked up her phone and dialed. It rang and rang... until.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Lorelai was at home, she'd just gotten home actually. She'd been fixing some problems that Sookie was having which had taken her most of the day. So now she was laying on the couch rather exhausted, but as soon as she did she heard the sound of her cordless phone ringing away.

She thought about ignoring it, but something told her to go answer the phone. So she got up, and picked up the phone...

"Hello?" Lorelai said a little grumpily.

"Mom?" Rory asked.

"Rory?! Is that you?" Lorelai said shocked at the sound of her daughter's voice on the other end.

"Yeah?" said Rory a little confused.

"How are you? How is everything?" Lorelai asked taking the phone to her spot back on the couch.

"Uh, good? I'm fine. And everything? Well, its okay I guess."

"Why? What happened?"

"Oh well, nothing." Rory said sweetly evading the point.

"This is the sound of me not believing you." Said Lorelai, leaving dead silence on the phone.

"I kinda ran into Logan..."

"Logan? When?" Lorelai said sitting up a little straighter in anticipation of some disaster.

"Last week? I should probably tell you the whole story, a few of the people here and I went out to dinner. And when I went over to the bar to get a drink he was there."

"'There' as in one of those guys from Cheers who sits and drinks all day or 'there' as in he was present?"

"He was waiting for his drinks or something. But, anyway, he was there and I said 'hi'"

"You did what?" Lorelai asked dumbfounded by Rory's move.

"Anyway he said 'hi'" Rory said, continuing, "and didn't really acknowledge me all that much. I just tried to ask him how things were but he kind of blew up at me instead."

"That stinks, I'm so sorry..." Lorelai said sadly.

"After that," Rory paused determining how to phrase the next part. "I left." Rory said skipping the part about Dean.

"Yeah I kind of figured."

"Anyway …we're leaving tomorrow." Rory said, changing the subject.

"Mom?" Rory asked suddenly and Lorelai paid more attention to the phone.

"That's my name..." before Lorelai could complete her joke Rory posed a question.

"Ever think I made a mistake?"

"Probably at one point or another... hate to break it to you kid but you're not perfect."

"No, I mean about Logan." Lorelai carefully thought about what her daughter just said. "I mean I know he's been a real jerk lately, but what if I was supposed to marry him?"

Lorelai thought for a second or two before replying, "Only you can answer that."

"I don't know anymore. I thought I knew, but now, after tonight, I'm not sure of anything." Rory thought to herself. Otherwise she said nothing more about it on the phone. It was still fresh in her mind.

"So how is Luke?" Rory asked hoping that her mom wouldn't notice the sudden change in subject.

"Good." Lorelai said, not detailing too much.

"And grandma?"

"Their fine- both of them" Lorelai clarified, "They miss you- you know."

"I bet, seeing me for all these years on Friday nights and I haven't been there for so long. How'd dinner go by the way?"

The pause returned.

"Mom?"

"Well..."

"You didn't go?" Rory asked dumbfounded.

"No, it's not that. I did go... tonight's was the first since you left."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. They've been busy, I've been busy."

"Still..." Rory said a little upset that they hadn't been getting together now that she was away.

"Hey, you know them, their like the President and First Lady of Connecticut."

"True, but still you should really try to go. But how did it go?"

"Well, Dad asked me about you and I didn't know what to tell him. Which do I need to mention made me feel horrible?" Lorelai said lightly.

"You not, _horrible._" Rory said, seriously.

"I know, but I still felt like it." Lorelai said, trying to guilt her daughter a little bit for making her go alone.

"Your not." Rory repeated.

"Hey! You asked me to tell you." Lorelai said defensively.

"Continue." Rory said.

"They said how happy they were that I came even if you couldn't be..."

"Eh, sorry about that."

"It's alright..." Lorelai said brushing it off.

"No it's not." Rory said debating it. But before Rory could say anything more she heard voices coming from the hallway. It sounded like some people arguing. Then she realized it sounded a little like Peyton and Jamie.

"Hey mom, I have to go." Rory said abruptly.

"Alright, I should too. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom. Say hi to Luke for me, will you?"

"Sure."

"And tell Grandma and Granddad that I'm fine and that everything's okay?"

"Roger. Will do." Lorelai said in an airplane pilot voice and saluted as if she had just been given military orders.

"Bye." Rory said a touch disappointed that she had to hang up.

"Love you kid." Lorelai said, still missing her a bit. And with that they hung up.

Rory sat there for a moment staring at the wall in thought. It was as if she was asking herself what she should do now. The room was empty- and it even _felt _empty.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_A/n: I know really short compared to the last chapter, but the next one will be longer than this. This chapter was only planned to be about Rory and Lorelai's phone call. But since it's short and didn't answer anyone's questions I'll tell you a little bit about the next one without giving anything important away... Taylor, Kirk, and a few favorites will appear in the next chapter. Lorelai will have more of a plot line not solely based upon Rory's leaving... and well nah... that's all I'll say for now. Except that a question everyone's been asking may come into focus._

_Thanks for reading!_

_A week later— making the timeline since the beginning of this story about 3 and a half weeks, maybe 4._

_Cheers: A TV show where a bunch of guys use to hang out at a bar and just sit around drinking (for the most part)._

_Edited, July 25, 2008. You'll notice several deletions from this story to make it match the rest of the story. _


	5. Fighting to Smile pt1

Fighting to Smile

**Disclaimer: I dont own. You know this; I know this, now everyone officially knows this. See? Short and sweet.**

A/n: Hey, another crazy chapter ahead. I realized while I was writing the last chapter (Something Undone Ch. 4) that typically in the show they have something going on with the other characters besides the main story line and I didn't really do much of that. So because I forgot to do that sooner and because I wanted to... other characters are going to play a role in this.

Thank you for the reviews. Here's chapter 5...

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"Taylor, what are you doing in my shop?" Luke asked during his breakfast "rush".

Taylor ignored him and proceeded to go from table to table asking everyone at the table a question, pointed to the flyer, and would head off to the next one.

"Taylor." Luke said getting annoyed- he really hated when Taylor came in at all, but it was another thing that he was bugging his customers. "Taylor!" Luke yelled while simultaneously grabbing everyones attention. He grabbed the flyer out of Taylors hand and asked, "Whats this?" Then he looked at it. "You're kidding?"

"No I'm not. But I truly hope someone is."

"Whats all the fuss about?" Lorelai said going into the diner.

"Nothing." Taylor said trying to get the flyer back from Luke.

Luke pulled it away before Taylor could make off with it and went over to show Lorelai. "It seems that Kirk is running for Town selectman." Taylor sat down- humiliated.

"No?" Lorelai said surprised and amazed. "Let me see..." she said seeing the flyer in Lukes hand. This caused Taylor to start to make an attempt in recovering the flyer, but Luke stared him down and he sat back down.

"Kirk? For town selectman? Town selectman— as in, 'of Stars Hollow'? You're kidding, right? Taylor tell me you guys are kidding..." but their reactions implied they werent so she responded with, "No way. Where did you get this?"

"Outside my store of all places," said Taylor getting back up. "Do you realize how long I've been Town selectman of Stars Hollow?" Lorelai and Luke looked at each other trying to figure out if they knew. "A...never mind... thats not really important." Taylor said. "Do you know what this could do? Not only to myself but to the whole town!"

"Just because he put up a flyer doesnt mean hes automatically it you still could win." Lorelai said trying to be supportive.

"Shes right Taylor, I'm sure youll be re-elected." Luke said to Taylor while he handed him back the flyer. As he walked passed Lorelai and towards the kitchen he muttered under his breath, "I cant believe I just said that."

"Maybe…you know what I have some campaigning to do, so I'm just gonna go." Then Taylor turned around and left. Luke didnt come out of the kitchen until after he heard the sound of the bell from the diner door _cling cling_.

"What do you make of that?" Lorelai asked Luke curiously.

"What do you mean?" Luke teased keeping his smirk hidden beneath the façade of non-interest.

Lorelai responding in making a face as if to say "how could you think nothing of the situation?"

"Im kidding, I dont know what's there to think? For all we know it could be some giant hoax put on by any number of people in this town who think that Taylor should shape up or maybe just possibly they want to see him squirm just for once."

"Wow. You dont sound anti-Taylor."

"Im not anti…" then he realized what she was about to make him say so he started again, "as much as Taylor and I disagree and believe me thats not a small amount…I dont like the thought of having Kirk run our town. Though I am not going to deny that maybe Taylor has had this coming."

"Luke?!" Lorelai said rather shocked.

"What?"

"You really think Taylor deserves this?" Lorelai said completely appalled.

"Im just saying after all the trouble hes given us, the town, and me that maybe this is good. Maybe hell become a better Taylor."

"Thats not what you said before…"

"You know what I meant!"

"I still cant believe you think he deserves this." Lorelai said taking one last stab at Luke.

"More coffee?" Luke asked picking up the pot.

And, just as Luke had finished asking Lorelai about the coffee --Kirk walked in

"Hey Kirk."

"Hi…uh…Hello, Miss Gilmore, Mr. Danes." Kirk said trying to sound more formal. Lorelai and Luke both noticed something was different about him after taking it in for a moment or two Lorelai asked him a question.

"Kirk, whats with the Mrs and the Miss?"

"What do you mean Miss Gilmore?"

"That! Thats what I mean, you never call me Miss Gilmore in fact no one ever called me Miss Gilmore since I left my mothers house."

"Kirk could I speak with you?" Gypsy said coming into the Diner with what could only be assumed as a flyer in her hand she seemed sincerely angry.

"Why sure Miss Gypsy I will join you in just a second." Kirk said, meanwhile while his back was turned Gypsy was asking where the "Miss Gypsy" came in. Lorelai just shrugged and Luke went back to work.

"Yes, how may I be of assistance?" Kirk asked if one of the many not so helpful employees at chain stores around the globe.

"Kirk cut the 'Miss' junk and get to the point. What is this and why is it in front of my place?" Gypsy said handing him the flyer.

"Its my flyer announcing my run for town selectman."

"I can see thats what it says what is it doing in front of my place?" She said getting more frustrated.

"I thought that as friends I might be allowed to post a few flyers around your establishment." Kirk said a little cautiously.

"Kirk just because were friends doesnt mean you get to post flyers anywhere you want to ask me next time."

"I will do that Miss Gypsy." Kirk said as she walked hurriedly away.

"Kirk! Stop calling me that!" She said as she turned around.

Kirk stepped back into the diner.

"So, what was that about, Kirk? She seemed mad." Lorelai asked inquisitively.

"We were discussing the placement of my flyers."

"Then the rumor is true!" She said directing her voice to the kitchen where Luke was presently stationed cooking someone's breakfast.

"Rumor? If you mean my running for Town selectman of Stars Hollow, then yes you are correct."

"Kirk can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Miss Gilmore."

"Why do you keep calling everyone 'Miss' or 'Mr.'? And why are you speaking in proper sentences?"

"Because a candidate should be formal and act respectfully."  
"Yeah, but people also want someone whos real…who is aware of their needs not some big ballooned politician."

"So what you're saying is I should be respectful, but I should drop the…"

"Yeah." She said cutting him off.

"Thanks, do you mind if I ask you a few questions later?" Kirk said hopefully.

"Uh, I have to work." She said.

"What if I drop by?"

"I …" she stopped seeing Lukes shadow in the kitchen- he was clearly listening in, "Sure Kirk that'll be fine."

"Bye Lorelai, bye Luke!" Kirk said leaving.

"It was the suit…" Lorelai said as if they left off on a previous situation. (The unspoken conversation about Kirk when he first entered.) Luke just nodded.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Hello?" Luke said answering the phone a few hours later.

"Hey it's me."

"Jess?"

"No, Liz." Jess said sarcastically before responding, "Yes, its me."

"Hey, how are you?" Luke said mildly surprised.

"Good, um… hey I was wondering if I could drop by for a couple of days. Youll be home later?"

"Yeah, I will. See you later."

"See ya…"  
"And Jess…"

"What?" Jess asked.

"Im glad your dropping by."

"Your welcome." Jess said a little uncomfortably. He never liked saying that to anyone much less ever had a reason to say it.

Luke hung up the phone and thought about the situation for a moment. _Why was Jess stopping by Stars Hollow? This made no sense. There was nothing here he would want._ Then Luke just shook his head and went back to work- trying to ignore all the questions he had momentarily brought up.

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"Lorelai?" Kirk asked as soon as he entered the lobby of the Dragonfly. He saw no one at the desk and there was no answer. "Lorelai?" He asked again poking his head into the front room. A few people were sitting there reading and playing cards so when he popped in they looked up at him funny; a kind of "who is this crazy nut and what the heck is he doing?"

Meanwhile, Lorelai and Sookie were in the kitchen debating with Michel what they should do about a double booking situation.

"We can't just cancel." Michel said as his French accent became more prominent.

"Well we can't just not tell them." Lorelai said, flatly.

"Maybe we don't have to." Sookie said.

"How?" Lorelai & Michel said in unison.

"How? What?" Sookie said slightly confused.

"How are we not going to tell them? Do you have a plan?" Lorelai said flustered.

"An Idea?" Michel added.

"No… I just figured that they'd find out themselves."

"We can't do that though. We can't make any couple with their 3 kids fly out to connecuit then drive for 2 hours and have them find out we double booked them." Lorelai said with enthusiasm.

"Then we let them have the room and ditch the other guys." Michel said, slightly excited.

Lorelai pointed out the obvious when she said, "Yeah, but we can't kick the elderly couple from New Jersey out either."

"Why not?" Michel asked unsure if he wanted his question answered.

"Because it's their… 60th wedding anniversary." Lorelai said and both she and Sookie finished.

During the debate one of the guests had come into the room, "Uh excuse me?" said the woman in her mid 20s.

"Yes?" said Lorelai moving away from Sookie and Michel who were now in a heated discussion over her suggesting they kick the elderly couple out when she knew it was their wedding anniversary.

"I was wondering if you could do something about that guy upstairs in the suit who keeps opening everyone's doors."

"Excuse me?" Lorelai said confused and a little loudly.

"He opens a door to someone's room looks in and then goes to the next door. It's getting very disturbing and I was wondering if theirs something you could do?"

Before the woman could finish saying the word "do" Lorelai was leaving the room and on her way upstairs. The woman followed Lorelai until they saw the craziest sight in the world. "That's him- that's the peeper."

"I'll take care of this go ahead back to what you were doing." Lorelai said trying to get her guest out of the way, so she could deal with Kirk. Her guest eventually went back to her room and Lorelai headed over to Kirk. "Peeper? Uh, could I have a word with you?" She said touching him on the shoulder and with the other hand grabbed the doorknob. "I'm really sorry about this- it won't happen again." Lorelai said to the confused family in the room Kirk was looking into and she shut the door.

"Lorelai I wanted to speak with you…"

"Later" she whispered as the woman from earlier stuck her head out into the hallway. "Peeper, this is the last time. How many times have I told you not to come up here?!" She said as she pushed him towards the stairs. She was making a show of telling him off just for the guests, so they knew she didn't approve.

"But, Lorelai…" Kirk started. Lorelai shushed him until they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Kirk what were you doing up there?" Lorelai asked completely puzzled.

"I was looking for you, remember you said that you would help me with my campaign… maybe you don't …but you clearly said it!" Kirk said getting a little excited.

"Yes I remember Kirk, but step number one and this is a big one. Don't go looking for me in the guest's rooms ever again. If I'm not here when you come just wait in the Lobby or ask Michel or Sookie." Lorelai said, feeling as if Kirk were her 2nd child.

"Why?"

"Kirk!" Lorelai shouted- irritated.

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Meanwhile Taylor was over at his store contemplating all his available options. Nothing would be more embarrassing to him than to have Kirk beat him in the next election. Having anyone beat him in the election was bad enough, sure he liked a little competition every now and then but Kirk! That really would be the straw that broke Taylor's back (so to speak)!

He headed over to the Dragonfly; if anyone would have an idea surely Lorelai would be able to come up with some kind of plan. But as he headed up the walk he looked through one of the windows and saw Kirk talking to Lorelai. All Taylor could think was that she was helping him, which only infuriated him all the more. So he stormed down the stairs and down the walk and headed over to the Diner.

"Luke!" Taylor shouted as he stepped into Luke's Diner. "Luke!" Taylor shouted again, furious.

Taylor headed over to the kitchen entryway and Luke came out with a rather hot looking pan. "Watch it Taylor!" Luke said, as he almost collided with him.

"Did you not hear me calling for you Luke?" Taylor spoke dripping with annoyance.

"Yeah, I heard you Taylor! And I almost burned myself on the pan listening to you shout every 2 minutes." Luke said pouring the contents of the pan, which happened to be an omelet, and sat it on the counter in front of a customer.

"What do you want Taylor?"

"Is that any way to speak to me? Look I'm sorry if my problems are interfering with your life so maybe I'll just leave…"

"Taylor…" Luke started.

"No that's fine… if your too busy then I won't trouble you with my _meager_ problems…" Taylor said heading towards the door.

"Taylor!" Luke shouted, causing the entire diner to focus on him. "What is it?"

"You really want to know?"

"I asked didn't I?"

"Well, as you know _he _is running for office."

"He? You mean Kirk?" Luke asked kind of confused and he folded his arms in the typical Luke mode.

"Yes, _Lucas_- _him_."

"So go on…"

"Well, anyway. I went over to the Dragonfly and _he _was there with Lorelai."

"Lorelai?"

"Do you have a hearing problem Luke?"

"No, I'm sorry. Okay, so what were they doing?"

"She was helping him!"

"Helping him do what? Read a book?"

"NO! She was helping him on his campaign!"

"Luke you need to do something!" Taylor said completely desperate and exasperated.

"Like what? Sabotage Kirk?"

"Shhh…" Taylor said looking around nervously and that left Luke to only stand there in suspicion, "That's precisely what I mean."

"You're kidding me." Luke said getting up and walking back toward the kitchen.

"Please Luke?" Luke just kept on walking toward the kitchen.

"I'll…I'll…do anything!" Taylor said struggling to come up with something to bargain with.

Luke disappeared around the corner for a moment there was a pause "Anything?" Luke said coming back.

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Later that night, Jess pulled up into a lot and walked toward the diner, he had duffel bad in hand and continued to walk up the sidewalk and pushed open the door.

"Hey!" Luke said looking up from cleaning the counter. He threw the rag down into a bucket and headed over to where Jess was standing. "Hey." Came the reply.

"So, why don't we take your stuff upstairs?"

"Sure…" Jess said.

Once they were in Luke's apartment Jess sat his stuff down and they both looked the place over and stood there face to face. It was Luke who broke the silence first.

"So, uh, it was good hearing from you the other day."

"Yeah?" Jess said slightly curious.

"Yeah. I mean it wasn't anything incredibly remarkable and yet… it wasn't like it wasn't important to me. I mean it did mean something…" Luke and Jess shared a look he was confusing the both of them"…never mind."

Jess wanted to say something, he really did. Part of him wanted to open up and yet being there just made him hesitant to do so.

"So, earlier, you never said why you were stopping by." Luke said heading over to one of the kitchen chairs.

"Yeah that's right I didn't." Jess said looking down at his feet for a second before placing his keys in his pocket and taking a seat at the table near Luke.

"So?" Came the question.

"It's kind of complicated."

"Complicated? How so?"

"Ah, it's nothing… don't worry about it." Jess said looking around trying to avoid eye contact. He wanted to say, and was trying very hard not to. The moment he made eye contact he knew he'd give in.

"Hey, Jess. If it's important to you it's something worth talking about. I understand if you don't want to, heck there's some things in my own life that fit into that category but I just want to give you the option to talk if you need to or whatever you want. You know I'm here for you if you need something."

"Yeah, I do and I've always appreciated that fact. But for the record I'm not so sure I know why I'm here myself. I know what brought me here, but why? I'm still kind of vague in."

"I see. Come to clear your head then maybe?"

"Partially… possibly." Jess corrected himself, as he folding his hands under his chin and rested his elbows on the table.

"Well, whatever the reason it's good to see you." Luke said getting up and heading to the door. "I'm going to go down to the shop I guess."

"Hey Luke?" Jess asked, turning around after several seconds of internal debate. He looked at the floor then up at Luke. "How are things with you and Lorelai?"

"Me and Lorelai? Uh, well not really much of anything I mean we still talk but… if you mean are we in a relationship? Well, kind of."

"Kind of? What's that supposed to mean?" Jess asked slightly puzzled.

"Well we haven't officially gone out on a date, although we're not exactly apart either."

"You're confusing."

"Ah, well…" Luke said conceding the point.

"Whatever happened to those 'self-help' tapes you made me listen to all those years ago? Why don't you ask her out?" Jess said…thinking on various levels.

"I don't know." He paused entertaining the idea. "I should."

Luke was about to leave for the second time when he turned around and said, "Hey, you made it just in time too."

"For what?"

"Kirk's running for town selectman?"

"What?" Jess said smirking and frightened all at once.

"Yeah."

"I knew this town was weird."

"You're telling me. But I saved the best for last."

"What's that?" Jess said, unsure how to take whatever news might be presented.

"Taylor's wants me to help with his campaign."

Jess laughed, "This town…"

"Better than that, he agreed to do anything to pay me back."

"Anything? Does he know what he just said?"

"You know you never can be quite sure with Taylor, but I think he's serious." They shared a look. "Either way," Luke continued, "I'm getting it in writing."

"Smart."

"Yeah, but hey i'll see you a little later then."

"Yeah, sure." Jess said watching Luke leave and pull the door closed behind him. He waited a few moments until he was sure Luke had left before pulling out his cell phone and dialed a number. As the ringing kept going and the person picked up Jess kept milling the same thoughts in his head, and as the person answered their phone Jess simply said, "Hey, I made it. Yeah, I'm here in Stars Hollow…"

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_A/n: (2) Okay, sorry this entire chapter has taken me so long to finish. I got caught up in more college work than I thought I would have. So, for your sakes and mine- I'm going to try to improve on this. If nothing else- send me a bunch of Personal Messages telling me to "get back to work" as it were. Thanks again for putting up with this.- Vanessacarltonfan_

(Updated/edited July 28, 2008)


	6. Fighting to Smile pt2

A/n: Hey, Im actually trying to get time to write these days

**Disclaimer: Don't own Gilmore Girls, though I admit it'd be cool. Also the chapter titles are from Fall Away by the Fray so I don't own the lyrics either…**

_A/n: Hey, I'm actually trying to get time to write these days. Well trying meaning I'm making more of an effort to get the time to. But sorry this chapter is so late. This chapter and the last were supposed to be one but as you can see I only had time to write the first part of the chapter and even then that was updated in groups. Hopefully, this will be updated all at once and you guys can finish reading chapter 5. Also there are lots of twists and turns on the way. Again, tell me what you think! Special thanks to Curley-Q, glo1196, and Gilmorefanforever!_

_-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --_

The next day, Luke left the diner and headed over to the Taylor's ice cream and candy shop. Before he even reached the door, however, Taylor had spotted him coming over and ran out the door to meet him. Luke just kept walking until his face met Taylor's literally.

"Luke! How are we going to do this? I'll do anything just tell me!" Taylor said face to face with Luke. Luke just kept walking- al biet grumbling, but walking. No matter what, Taylor stayed in his face walking backwards and babbling (as far a Luke was concerned).

"Luke? Lucas are you listening to me? You have to help me!"

And finally, when Luke just couldn't take it another minute— all the raving and the begging and the not getting out of his way— he snapped.

"Taylor!"

"Yes, Luke?" Taylor said, rather attentively like a seeing eye dog listening for his master's call.

"Would you get out of my way?" Luke said, on the verge of losing his self-control.

"Uh, sure; anything you say, Lucas." Taylor said trying to do or be anything that Luke would want if only he would help him!

So Luke went inside and Taylor followed after him, or trailing him as Luke would've called it if you would have asked him just then.

"So, Lorelai, what should I do?" Kirk asked sitting attentively at the front desk while Lorelai stood behind the desk and sighed- frustrated.

"Okay, first thing you'll want to do is dress the part."

"Dress the part…"Kirk repeated writing down the words on a little tablet. "Okay, now what does that involve exactly?" Kirk asked, and at first Lorelai thought he was joking then she looked at his expression again and he was dead serious.

"You don't know what that means?" Lorelai asked in utter disbelief – she did her best to hide her smile. His expression hadn't changed he was obviously confused. Lorelai broke into laughter she couldn't hide it much longer.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Lorelai said between gasps of air. More laughter. "It's just you don't know what that phrase means?"

"No, am I supposed to?" Kirk asked completely lost.

Lorelai finally controlled her laughter and replied, "It means that you dress appropriately for the situation; you should look like a candidate- formal."

"Not a dress then?"

"No," came the reply.

Kirk sighed with relief, "Oh, thank goodness! You had me worried there."

"Second, I think we should get you ready for a debate."

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A few hours later an interesting conversation was beginning at the Diner.

"A debate?!" Luke asked.

"You're kidding?" Gypsy said, having heard the last part of the conversation.

"Shhh" Taylor said.

"When is it?" Luke asked, anger heating up.

"Now!" Taylor said hastily and headed towards the door and to the center of town, nearest to the gazebo. Luke followed as did everyone else in the diner. As he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he saw the whole town gathering at the gazebo with more people heading there.

He made his way over and stood about 15 feet away.

"Now, all of us know Taylor Doose… most of us respect the man but, let's face it people it's time for a change. We need true leadership."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Taylor said as the crowd parted for him and he made his way to the gazebo.

"What I mean is we need to elect someone who will improve the lives of the townsfolk and get things repairs around here that haven't been fixed in a very long time."

"Well, I've fixed plenty of things!" Taylor said defensively.

"Like what?" Someone in the crowd shouted.

"I held things like the Festival of Living Pictures." The crowd seemed rather pleased with that answer.

"Good, town people of Stars Hollow…hear me" Kirk started. Lorelai and Luke found each other and locked eyes before focusing back onto Kirk.

"Do you want to be forced to have a town selectman that would make it mandatory to rename your streets? You! Do you remember what he wanted to rename your street to?" No response came to which Kirk replied, "Things like Constabulary Road, Sores and Boils Alley. Just to name a few!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Everyone agreed.

Taylor chimed in, unwilling to let Kirk get the upper hand here. "And I people of Stars Hollow, promise not to let the big egg hunt disaster happen again!"

This went on back and forth until people got tired of hearing Taylor and Kirk point out each other's faults and headed back home.

Eventually the candidates didn't even care anymore although they'd be darned if the other got the last word in- regardless if anyone was listening or even there.

"Well, we'll just see to gets elected!" Taylor shouted heading down the gazebo.

"By the people for the people!" Kirk said heading home.

"Just shut up Kirk you don't know what you're quoting." Taylor said turning around.

"I may not know what but at least I know what it means!" Kirk spouted back.

"What does it mean?" Taylor shouted from across the square.

"If you have to ask…" and the rest faded out.

"WHAT?" Taylor shouted trying to hear him.

"I said…" and he still faded out.

"I can't hear you!" Taylor said still shouting. "Oh, never mind!" he said to himself after all if he couldn't hear Kirk what made him think Kirk heard him?

That left Lorelai and Luke on the square by themselves.

Luke decided to break the ice. "Well, that went well."

"At least I wasn't the one who decide to dig the well in the first place!" Lorelai said faking an imitation of the debate.

"Oh, please not you too." Luke said in shock and a slight sense of fear.

Lorelai just laughed. He did too.

"So," she said.

"So…" he replied. He just looked at her in her nice warm sweater and jeans he wanted to say something, but the words… what to say?

After a moment or two he kept repeating in his head,_ "Why don't you just ask her out?_" Jess words weren't leaving his head and it bothered him. He wanted to, he really did, but he was a little apprehensive to- again.

"This is just a shot in the dark. You don't want to if you don't want to I mean, but since we are 'back together' and all… you want to go out on a date?"

"What do you mean?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, yes. But I just thought that we really haven't done anything. I mean I cooked you breakfast, but that wasn't really a 'date'." Luke said feeling more awkward. They started heading towards the diner though neither of them had really noticed.

"Gee, actually date the man I'm 'back together' with? Hmm…" She teased.

He stood there annoyed at how she was successfully embarrassing him without even trying. "To a restaurant? With dresses and ties and all those confusing table manners?!" She said, continuing to taunt him.

"Yes, with all that-- _stuff_." He said trying to cut her off.

"But you hate those things!" She said, this time seriously surprised.

"So what, I can get over that. I know women like those things."

"Okay, sure," she said with a smile.

"Okay then," He said as his expression lightened, "Coffee?" He asked, finally taking notice of where they were standing— in front of the diner.

"Yeah, definitely." She said, noticing where he was gesturing.

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_A/n: I finally finished writing chapter 5! I hope you all liked this chapter. I wrote out the arch for the rest of the story and I'm hoping you'll all like what I have in store. Hope everyone's having a great weekend. – Vanessacarltonfan_

(Updated/edited July 28, 2008).


	7. Something I've done

Disclaimer: As stated before I dont own Gilmore Girls, cause if I had I wouldnt have left the finale to end like that

**Disclaimer: As stated before I don't own Gilmore Girls, because if I had I wouldn't have let the finale end like that (or in general). Also my story's title and the chapter names are taken from lyrics to the song by the Fray- so you can bet that their not owned by me either. (Shocking right? Just kidding.) **

_A/n: Hey, it's me again! Just wanted to say I'm very thankful to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and or added Fall Away to their story alert list. It is nice to know people enjoy the story that much. Oh well, that's about it really- on with the story!_

_(This chapter takes place a couple days later. Or Nights… we'll you'll see.)_

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Rory got up that morning, and had her breakfast. It was now 6:45 and she had exactly 45 minutes before she "absolutely needed" to be downstairs. She turned on the TV and headed to her drawers to pick out today's outfit. She pulled a couple things out and looked around the room; it looked for lack of a better term- empty. Not that her accommodations weren't nice or anything, as most people would love to be staying in a hotel like this one.

But she missed more things from her room back home than she thought she would and it was finally taking it's toll on her. _"Why am I doing this?"_ She asked herself. She hadn't even known where the question had come from… but now that it was there she hadn't had the answer she once had.

She sat on the bed and fell backwards onto it sighing…

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 

"Luke!" someone shouted- to which a semi-conscious Luke Danes just rolled over and fell back asleep.

"Luke!" the voice shouted again this time followed by an audible _screech._ Again Luke just rolled over, however, this time he was relatively conscious. Then came another loud _Screech…_ which made Luke jump into a sitting position on his bed while someone simultaneously opened the door.

"If you don't get him to shut up… I swear to you…" Jess said in the doorway fully awake and annoyed.

"What?" Luke said half groggily- he may have been awake but that was all anyone could say.

"Don't worry just a second," Jess said as his eyes rolled pointing up and to the direction of the windows as if he was waiting for something to sound.

_Screech._

This to which was followed promptly by someone yelling, "Luke!" So Luke got out of bed and headed to the window in the living room and as he passed through the doorway Jess followed behind him as if sarcastically gesturing "after you". Luke opened the window and stuck his head out. "Taylor?!" Luke said as if only half believing what he was seeing. He couldn't…wouldn't be standing out there with a bull horn! It had to be a dream he thought. It just couldn't be!

He looked to Jess as if to confirm what his eyes told him. "How long has he been out there," Luke asked.

"Let's see," Jess said looking at his watch, "It's about 3:15 right now, so ill say a good half hour."

"Luke," the window called, "It's about time you got up. I've been calling you for about 45 minutes!"

Luke looked to Jess as if to say "half hour huh?" Jess just shrugged, "Guess I slept it through the first 15 minutes." They glared at each other both unhappy but not with the either party.

"Taylor it's 3:15 in the morning what do you want?"

"I want to discuss your plans for improving my campaign!"

"Not now Taylor!"

"Luke it's very essential that we get the jump on this as soon as possible…"

Then he noticed Luke was pulling his head back inside so he asked, "Don't you at least want your shoes back? Jess has been throwing these at me all night!"

Luke looked out again and saw the pile of shoes around Taylor just as he said but he just looked as Jess as if he needed confirmation. Jess just smirked coyly.

However, instead of Luke incurring wrath upon his nephew like Jess might have previously assumed he simply asked, "Do you have another one left?"

Jess looked and when he didn't find one he pulled the one off his foot and said, "Here".

"Thanks," he said looking at the shoe for a moment as if in thought.

Then Luke did something Jess thought he'd never see him actually do, he threw the shoe at Taylor and it hit the bull horn right out of Taylor's hand.

"Go away Taylor! Not now!"

"But…" Taylor said, starting to protest.

Luke however, wasn't taking it too calmly. "Hey Taylor, as your manager, here are some rules." He paused for effect. "Do **not** wake me up this early in the morning for anything! Especially regarding your campaign! You do **not** point a bull horn toward the direction of my window. And you will **not** expect me to go along with every whim!" Luke rather pleased with himself started to go back in the window then he added, "You want to know something else Taylor? After this I can see why people might want to vote for Kirk! I know for a fact he's not going to wake up his campaign manager at three in the morning! Furthermore if you keep this up I may even do just that and vote for Kirk! Goodnight!" And with that Luke slammed the window.

"Nice shot." Jess said

"Thanks…" Luke said as he merely put his hand up in gesture of his gratitude and hazily walked back to bed.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Rory finally pulled herself together and went to the conference room to start her day. She headed to her area and sat down at her chair. She looked around her desk to see what she had to work on today.

At first she felt excited about getting straight to work, but as the realization of what she had to work on sank in, the less she felt compelled to do any of it. She just sighed and looked up from her desk. Martin was sipping his third espresso; she knew it was his third because cans number one and two were sitting on his desk fully drained.

Delia, one of the receptionists who worked for the hotel, brought some donuts and was making light conversation with a few of the more awake people here. Peyton was over grabbing a donut when Amy walked over to see what was happening.

"Donuts!" she said as if the mere sight of them was causing her pain.

"I bought them this morning. Is there something wrong?" Delia replied. She was a little hurt at the reaction by Amy but she did not allow her face to show any other expression but confusion.

"How could you bring that? Oh! That is just so disgusting…", but before she could continue Peyton interceded, "Just because you prefer cardboard doesn't mean everyone else has to. I think it's nice that she at least _considered_ bringing us something at all."

To which Amy replied in a false compassionate tone, "I'm not speaking just for myself, but for all of you. If you all want to eat the pastry of…fat than go ahead. Just keep in mind that I told you not to."

"I have some granola bars if you want one." Delia offered, still trying to be nice about the whole thing. Amy just made a disgusted tone and walked back to her own area where she pulled out her own breakfast.

Rory looked back at her work when Amy walked past, and minutes after that Peyton came over and held out a donut. "Here." Peyton said offering the other donut to Rory. "Oh, thanks." Rory said standing up and accepted the donut. She had already eaten breakfast but in the mood she was in she could use a little sugary pick me up.

"So, I know you were watching that." Peyton started as Rory took a bite of the chocolate donut. Rory looked at her in mid-munch, trying to read Peyton's emotions on the matter, but Peyton continued before she could respond. "Tell me, isn't it just sad how one nice act can get such grief?" Peyton said looking at Delia who was across the room talking to people who thanked her for their breakfast or the morning conversation or something to make her feel less momentarily depressed.

"Yeah, it is." Rory said thinking- and not just about Delia's situation.

"I mean how pathetic do you have to be before your going to do something like that? We all know about donuts it's not like Amy was telling us something new. It's not like the health community just came out with the news or something. Hope she's satisfied with her hard boiled egg without the yoke." Peyton said looking at the baggie on Amys desk with one egg in it cut in half and no yoke to be seen. Rory watched as Amy took it out and started eating, Rory almost felt bad even though she couldn't stand her. But they stopped staring and Rory took a few more bites of her donut before noticing something different about Peyton.

"Did you get your hair cut?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, do you like it? I wanted to get something flirty and different." Peyton said fingering her hair nervously as she waited to see what Rory thought.

"Yeah I do, it looks cute. I just hadn't noticed before now, my mind's kind of been elsewhere this morning."

"Oh it's okay I know how it is around this time of year."

_Time of year? Rory wondered but let it go._

"So why did you get it cut?"

"Oh I wanted a change, besides it was getting in the way of my boyfriend and me."

Rory finished the last bite and wiped her mouth as Peyton continued. "You know when you're with your boyfriend or whatever and you know it kind of chokes you and you're all…" Then Peyton proceeded to make a gagging sound. Rory looked at her kind of strangely which Peyton noticed and just finished by saying, "Well never mind, but you know." Peyton said slightly flushed.

Rory decided to ignore that for her friend's sake; after all she was turning a nice shade of pink. "Good morning." Rory said, starting over.

"Good morning." Peyton said, and they laughed before heading to work.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Luke!" Taylor said later that morning as he stepped into the diner.

"Oh! Not him!" Luke said in the kitchen frying an omelet.

"Him? Who? Taylor?" Caesar asked not following.

"Yes Taylor. He's been driving me nuts for the past few days."

"Why?" Caesar asked.

"Because he wants me to help him out with his campaign against Kirk." Luke replied while flipping the omelet.

"You? You're kidding me here right?" Caesar asked looking directly at Luke.

Luke didn't reply.

"No! Why? Tell me, why would you help a guy you don't like? No, wait I take that back I can think of a few… okay answer me this, why are you helping a guy like Taylor out?" Caesar asked flabbergasted.

"Because if I don't he'll never let me sleep." And Luke just walked out with the order leaving Caesar confused about the details.

"So, okay what are your ideas?" Taylor said almost bumping into Luke.

"Hold on." Luke said agitated. He handed the plate to one of the customers and filled their coffee before returning back to Taylor.

"Is it just me or did we have a conversation about this last night?"

"No we didn't." Taylor said looking absolutely innocent and quite serious.

"Yes we did."

"No we didn't."

Jess came down and he looked like he was heading to go somewhere. Luke noticed him trying to leave and Luke stopped him by saying, "Hey Jess, can you tell Taylor that we did in fact have a conversation about his bothering me last night?"

They all looked at each other and then Jess said, "No, you didn't."

Taylor looked at Luke like he just won the right to be President of the United States and Luke just looked like he fell out of his window. "It was this morning." Taylor and Luke both looked over to Jess not fully catching what he meant when he just said they hadn't.

"The conversation," Jess started, "was earlier this morning."

Luke gave Jess an un-amused look and Jess just smiled before leaving.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"So what you're saying is, you want me to let Kirk have the town?"

"No!" Luke said annoyed that the 8th time he explained his plan to Taylor still wasn't getting though.

"But that's what you're implying!" Taylor argued.

"No it's not!" Luke yelled. He rubbed his face with his hands and took a deep breath trying to relax, never before in his life had he ever thought he was this close to death. If anyone was going to be the death of him it would be Taylor and if there was a situation which would cause it, trying to explain anything to Taylor would be it. This was just the perfect combination to really do him in.

"I'm going to try to explain this one last time… You are going to ask Kirk if he would like to be the town selectman for a week."

"So he can get more experience and take over more easily? You know I know what this is about… this is about this morning when I woke you up isn't it…" Luke cut him off.

"No, it's about strategy. Just think about it Taylor! If Kirk were to find out that he doesn't like being Town selectman as much as he thinks he does then he might drop out, thus leaving you as the only candidate." Taylor's expression changed dramatically.

"Oh, I see… that's a good idea Lucas… Okay, I'll see what I can do. Thank you." Taylor said leaving the diner in peace. Luke couldn't believe it; in fact he stood there in denial.

"Luke?" Caesar asked trying to get his attention. "Luke?" The only response Caesar got was, "I think Taylor just thanked me."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_A/n: Hey, Happy Thanksgiving. I'm sorry I haven't updated in about a month, but College is chaos. Sadly this is only part one, because I have other papers to write and they're graded so they take precedence. I hope this was funny enough to be worth the long wait. Hopefully I can get to part two and chapter 7 (depending on how you are counting chapters) soon. _

_(Updated/edited July 28, 2008)_


	8. That I Can't Outrun

Disclaimer: Hi, by this time in my story you should know that I don't own Gilmore Girls or any of the characters, but I think I'm required to state that, regardless

**Disclaimer: Hi, by this time in my story you should know that I don't own Gilmore Girls or any of the characters, but I think I'm required to state that, regardless. We, secretly, (as authors and readers) wish we did because then we would be accomplished writer's or critics and have good jobs, etc. but I hate to say that none of us do—okay, well maybe a few lucky souls out here have written professionally but not me. At least not yet. Thanks!**

**Also the title of this story as well as the chapters are lyrics to a song by The Fray. So now you know.**

_A/n: Hello, again. I am SO very sorry that I haven't written before this. I have been hoping to get the time too but it wasn't until now that I got the time. This chapter is full of, how to put it? _

_Frustration. _

_For some of you this chapter will probably not be your favorite but it needs to be told if we're ever going to get where the characters are going. I hope that even if you aren't fond of this particular chapter that you will, at least, find this chapter well written and somewhat believable in the sense of keeping in character. Thank you so much for reading. Messages/reviews are much appreciated._

_Fyi: Most of these chapters happen the next day. This one takes place a day after chapter 7._

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - -- -- -- -- -- -- -

"He did what!?"

"You heard me."

"No. No. No!" She took a brief pause silently questioning his face. "Seriously? You're honestly being serious with me?"

Then, after a few seconds went by of complete silence, Lorelai gasped, "NO!"

Luke simply smiled and nodded, which conveyed an entirely different message than from the happy one it was supposed to.

"I can't believe it!" Lorelai said, shaking her head—still in a state of shock.

"Believe what?" Jess asked as he came down the stairs.

"That Taylor paid us a visit last night." Luke put in.

"Oh? Yeah, believe it," he said addressing Lorelai.

"No!" Lorelai responded still in a state of shock as she stared at Luke who happened to be holding the coffee pot.

"Don't worry you'll get over your state of shock once you hit your coffee buzz," Luke said, pouring her a cup. She absentmindedly grabbed the cup and sipped it in silence.

Luke and Jess shared a common look and Jess smirked.

"Don't even…" Luke started.

Jess sat down at the counter, "What? Oh! You mean? I wouldn't even think of mentioning it," he said in reference to the shoe incident of last night.

"What?"

Jess said nothing, he just smirked at Luke. Luke, however, continued to show no sign of answering Lorelai's question.

"What, Luke?" She asked looking from his nephew to Luke, himself. Jess still continued to smirk which only provoked Lorelai's curiosity further.

"What!? Come on Luke, tell me!"

Luke threw Jess a look ripe with sarcasm and was about to reply when Miss Patty came in.

"Luke what's with the shoes?"

"Shoes?" Lorelai asked, curious.

"Yeah, last night a big box of shoes where dropped off in the studio and there was a note written by Taylor."

"Taylor? Why would Taylor drop an entire box of shoes at your place?" she asked.

"Well, you see I asked Taylor about them and he wouldn't say anything other than they were Luke's, here." Miss Patty said nodding in Luke's general direction. Luke had just finished pouring a cup of coffee for Jess when Jess picked it up and tried his best to smirk behind his coffee cup.

Luke saw it.

"Luke?" came the general question from both ladies.

"Come on Luke, why does Taylor have a box of your shoes?"

"Yeah!" Miss Patty added, "And why were they dropped off at my studio?"

Luke dropped his head in exasperation and just then Kirk walked in.

"Hey Luke, I just found this outside—I think it's yours." Kirk said handing over a shoe.

Luke held the shoe for a minute with all eyes on him until, Jess said, "Actually that one's mine," and all eyes focused on him. "If you don't mind?" He asked, waiting for someone to give it back to him.

"Here." Luke said walking toward him and handing over the shoe.

"Luke what is going on?" Lorelai asked.

"Did I miss something?" Kirk inquired.

"Yeah, Kirk you did." Lorelai stated mildly confused. Then it dawned on her. "No!" She said amazed and she stared at Luke.

"Are we back to that again?" Luke said with an annoyed tone and he checked her coffee cup.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Just making sure you don't need a refill." He got a look for that comment.

"Tell me you didn't!" Lorelai pleaded.

"Didn't what?" Miss Patty asked.

"Ditto!" Kirk stated and when everyone looked at him he simply shrugged and said, "What?"

They all turned around to continue their interrogation of Luke and Lorelai continued this time but to a different source. "Tell me he didn't." She stated this time towards Jess.

"Hey, I can neither confirm or deny anything at this present time."

"Ah ha!" She shouted as she shouted and gave Luke a caught-in-the-act face.

"What?" he said feigning innocence.

"You did! You threw your shoes at him didn't you?" She accused.

"Hey! Be fair, I didn't throw all of my shoes!" Luke said pointing towards himself.

"Yeah you threw mine!" Jess smirked.

"Not helping!" Luke replied.

"Yeah, you should have seen him. Knocked the bullhorn straight out of Taylor's hands!"

Kirk, amazed replied "Wow, that's an impressive shot! You know judging from the trajectory of the shoe and an and open window I would say…"

"Enough Kirk!"

Kirk, slightly offended stated, "Do you have a problem with the candidates? Because this makes two in less than twelve hours…and…"

"Hey Kirk?" Lorelai asked as Luke leaned on the counter and put his head in his hand.

"Yes, Lorelai?"

"Can you go and wait for me at the Inn?"

"But I'm hungry, I came here for a sandwich."

But before Kirk could continue rambling about his stomach she said "I'm sure Sookie will be more than happy to make you something."

"But what about Michel? He doesn't like me and I'm sure he'll charge me double…"

"Kirk!" She said losing her patience then she calmed herself before she replied, "I'll take care of Michel.

"Well… Okay, if you're going to take care of it."

"Kirk?"

"Okay, I'm going I'm going…"

"Better?" Lorelai asked Luke.

He looked up at her head still in his hand only to find… her smirking.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Rory's morning up to this point had consisted of getting up and heading outside. The interns had the day off, partially due to the lack of work available for the next day or so. Rory's coworkers, those of whom had worked on campaigns before, called it "the calm before the storm" and though the metaphor was not exactly word appropriate, it summarized what was going on rather effectively.

Most of the guys had decided to go out together—to do what, nobody knew exactly—but most figured it was probably to the nearest basketball court since their had been a heated debate over "who could hit who's butt."

The girls, on the other hand, had gone out to catch a light lunch and do a little bit of shopping.

But Rory wasn't among them.

It wasn't that she hadn't been invited. In fact, several girls asked her multiple times as to whether she wanted to go with them, but Rory declined. She had a few outings with the girls previously but today she just wanted to go out by herself.

The first stop of the day had been to the store to pick up a few things she had been running low on—shampoo among them. Then she decided to take a little walk. She walked down the block and came across a bookstore with a café inside. At first she hadn't really considered going in, but gave in for the coffee. Besides it had been a while since she had set foot in a bookstore.

She walked in and went directly over to the little café and ordered some kind of mochaccino. As she finished paying the teenager who worked there her eyes fell across a sign declaring it to be the new book section. So Rory headed over with her coffee and she started to browse the titles. She took a couple of sips before picking up a book and flipping through its pages. After skimming the work she would casually put it back on the shelf and sip her coffee until she found another one and did the same thing as she had with the first.

This one actually looks promising. She thought to herself and sought out the nearest chair. She found one a couple of aisles away and sat down. She started to read and only looked up when one of the employees starting filling the display across from her. At first she merely took a glance to see who the person was and what he was doing then went back to continue reading her book. For some unknown reason she looked up again—this time to what he was filling the display with. The book… was Jess'.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Sometime later that day…

"What are you doing?" Luke asked.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" Lorelai replied, with cell phone pushed to her ear.

Wide-eyed Luke replied, "It looks like your trying to use a cell phone in my diner."

"Well, then my friend you would be quite mistaken." Lorelai said as she pressed a few buttons. "I'm checking my voicemail."

"How is that any different? Your still using a cell phone aren't you?" Luke said as Lorelai waved him off.

"Lorelai, this is your mother." Lorelai heard as the message played. "I need to speak to you regarding a certain matter. Call me back when you get this. Hmmm… better yet just come over. Bye."

"Message two:" Lorelai's cell phone said, "Hey Mom, It's me, Rory. I just wanted to say hi, and see how things were going. Everything's fine, don't worry, and if you have time to call me back but not before nine cause I might be out. Bye."

"Message three: Lorelai! Hey, this is Sookie, and not to worry you or anything… but Michel and I kind of need you to come over to the inn as soon as you can. Thanks. Bye."

to which Lorelai then hung up her phone.

"Hey, Luke?" She said, as she got up and grabbed her stuff together, "I'm sorry, but I've got to run."

"Is anything wrong?" Luke asked still holding an order booklet and a pen.

"I don't know, Sookie left me kind of a strange message telling me to come over to the inn and my mom called, so who only knows which one of the many World Wars that will spark. But, anyway, she wants me to not call, but drive all the way over there."

"Sounds like fun." Luke said sarcastically.

"Yeah. Hey look," Lorelai said pausing, "I'm sorry about the phone."

Luke just shrugged, "don't let it happen again," though he secretly knew it would.

Lorelai smiled, "Thanks," she said and proceeded to walk out the door, "Hey, Lorelai!" She heard as the diner door shut behind her. It was Luke.

"So, how about that date?" he asked.

She smiled, "We never did that yet have we?"

"No… we didn't," he said thinking, "How about tomorrow?" he asked once he mentally checked his schedule.

"Tomorrow? Yeah. Yeah, I could do that. Say eight-ish?"

"Works for me." They smiled briefly, "well I'll let you go…"

"Yeah." She said getting her thoughts back.

And he turned to go back to the diner but just when he was about to go in he heard, "Luke!" so he turned back finding Lorelai walking up to him. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

"See you then." She said heading off to her car and the inn.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Rory's curiosity had gotten the best of her and went over (after the employee had finished) and picked up one of the books. As she held it in her hands she wasn't sure whether to open its pages and read it or not. Did she want to know?

She casually opened the book and read the chapter headings. It was true that she had already read the book, but somehow she felt compelled to read it again and for what reason, she knew not.

"--"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Lorelai was driving towards the Inn. She'd left Luke's about twenty minutes earlier and was just about to the Inn in fact, it was just around the corner…

"Ah!" Lorelai shouted as a blast of water hit her. She put her jeep into reverse and parked in front of the house next door.

As she walked over to the front of the inn she was sprayed again. Her mouth dropped open as she saw it….

The "it" was water gushing up in every direction about 15 feet high. She walked close to the barns trying to avoid the direct force of water and heading in through the back way.

As soon as she got in, however, she saw Sookie, Michel, and the entire kitchen staff running about.

"What's going on?" Lorelai called as Michel was frantically dialing the phone. Then, he looked up and saw her drenching wet standing there, "Lorelai!"

"Michel what's going on?" Lorelai asked rather aggravated.

"Sookie, Lorelai's here." Michel called.

"Thank goodness. I don't know what to do." Sookie said completely flustered.

"What happened?" Lorelai asked as Sookie handed her a kitchen towel to dry her face.

"We don't really know." Sookie replied.

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, all we know is that we got a phone call from someone saying they couldn't get here and when I asked them why, they said because a giant sputtering Old Faithful was parked in our front lawn." Michel said adding, "Then, when I looked… I saw it."

"Have you tried calling the water company?" Lorelai asked drying her hair.

"Yes, but they said they were already working on a couple of ones in the area."

Sookie interrupted saying, "Apparently a whole line burst or something."

"Did they say when they'll be able to fix this?" Lorelai asked gesturing with the towel.

"No." Michel replied. Sookie, on the other hand could just stand there as he said, "They don't know that… not even when they'll be able to turn the water off to that… thing."

"Perfect." Lorelai sarcastically replied.

"We've been trying to do the best for the guest's that we can. I've been trying to get these guys to make some stuff without using the water, but so far we're down 13 jugs and 18 bottles of water." Sookie said, as she picked up on of the bottles off of the island and threw it in the trash can.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -

Rory finished reading. She headed out from the bookstore and grabbed some lunch at one of the little restaurants nearby. As she walked in she saw it had a counter in the back which not purposefully reminded her to that of Luke's. She sat down and was handed a menu by one of the waitresses who worked there and so she sat down and began to debate what she wanted.

But as she looked up to get one of the waitress's attention she saw someone in the far corner who looked like Taylor. He had the same balding spot and build. For a moment she thought that maybe it indeed was him but then he turned around and she realized how much different the man actually looked from Taylor.

The weird thing was… that as much as Taylor gave her and everyone else a hard time… she found herself wishing that this guy was Taylor—and she didn't know why.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - -- -- -- -- -- -- -

It wasn't till that night that Lorelai had been able to get away from the Inn. The water company had only come to turn the water off about two hours ago and they were still too busy fixing the other breaks to even start on her's. But now she was on her way to her parent's in Hartford and the closer she got, the more she wondered what "emergency" could have arisen since the last time she was there… not two weeks ago.

She could only wonder as to the disaster awaiting her behind the front door. It was time to find out. She knocked on the front door and waited for the usual maid to answer.

"Lorelai!" Emily practically shouted.

"Hi, mom." She said stepping into the house, "what's with the shouting and the weird Mission Impossible-like phone call?"

"What?" Emily asked a little confused.

"Mission Impossible? Mr. Phelps?" Emily gave her a quizzical look which evoked the reply, "never mind."

But, resorting to other tactics she asked directly, "What's with the phone call?"

"Well, come on in you might as well have dinner with us."

"Diner?" Lorelai asked, "Mom, I don't…"

"Come on, Lorelai!" Emily called.

Lorelai walked into the living room spotting her father reading the paper. "Hi, Dad."

"Lorelai." He greeted finally looking up from his paper. "What are you doing here?"

He asked, somewhat confused to see his daughter here on any day other than a Friday.

Lorelai returned the momentary confused look before attempting to sit down and replied, "Mom called, she said you guys wanted me to come over that it was something important."

"Did she?" Richard puzzled for a moment. "Oh yes, I remember now." He said finally recalling a previous conversation.

"So where's the fire?"

"Fire? What fire?" Emily asked looking around the room.

Lorelai shook her head, "There's no fire mom, I just want to know what was so important to have me drive all the way over here."

"Oh, that? No reason." Emily replied handing Lorelai a drink.

"No reason? You had me drive all the way to Hartford and you don't want anything?" Lorelai retorted.

Richard stepped in, "You see your mother and I was hoping you'd come and have dinner with us, but she didn't think you'd actually come if we just asked. So she thought it best to make up some sort of a reason for you to come."

"Your kidding?" Lorelai said, open-mouthed. "You could have just asked."

"Really? Could we?" Emily asked faking happiness, "Tell me, would you have come?"

Lorelai thought about it for a second, "Yeah, I would've, though maybe not tonight… but from now on… just call. Okay?" She asked sincerely hoping to assuage her distraught parents.

"We'll hold you to that." Richard replied, smiling.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked.

"Wrong?" Lorelai asked rather puzzled. "Nothing's wrong why do you ask?"

"Because you said that you probably wouldn't have come tonight, is something the matter?" she questioned.

Lorelai smiled trying to cover her tracks, "No, nothing. I just had a busy day that's all."

Emily shrugged and sat down with her freshly poured drink, "Oh well, if you say so."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - -- -- -- -- -- -

A/n: Don't worry the "oh so famous pop culture references" are coming up in the next couple of chapters… I didn't forget. Also I hope you enjoyed this chapter… granted it's not quite as pivotal as the others, but the next chapter will be pretty big if you don't mind my saying so. Till then…

--Vanessacarltonfan

(Updated/edited July 28, 2008)

P.S. The missing money got changed into something a little more… catastrophic if you noticed.


	9. Maybe You Should Wait

Disclaimer: Hey again

**Disclaimer: Hey again! I don't own Gilmore Girls. Though really, who wouldn't love to?**

_A/n: I'm so sorry this chapter has taken as long as it has, I started writing and then ran into a teansy writer's block. Hope it's worth the wait!_

_Hey, random fact: this story was originally outlined as ten chapters. Guess what? It's not going to be ten chapters… I know, surprise, surprise. Right? I know generally where I'm going with this story 'cept for a few minor details, well, you'll find out later on. But I just want to say thank you so much to my reviewers: Curley-Q, ohxrosie, peterpan27, and also to Starwatcher123, lovetaker101, and gracielou9291._

_Also, side note—I added more to chapter 8 so if you didn't finish reading that after my previous last update then you should probably go back and read the rest of it before attempting this chapter._

_(This chapter takes place the day after chapter 7)_

-- - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_Ding Dong _rang the doorbell to Lorelai's house.

"Hey, just a sec." Lorelai shouted fussing with her shoe.

It rang again.

"Just a sec, Luke!" She shouted a second time.

And again…

However this time she practically sprinted towards the front door and by the time she opened it rather angered she saw Luke, who was standing faced away from her with a broom.

"What are you doing?" She asked, unsure how he would respond.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" He asked taking another swish at something down the porch steps.

Lorelai replied carefully with, "I'm not really sure you want to know, because it looks like your trying to defend my front door from the invasion of the Pookas."

"What?" Luke said turning around to face her only to hear a angry growl from behind him. "Ah!" Lorelai screamed while Luke was shouting "Let me in already will you?!"

She stepped out of the way and he made him was through the threshold and in his hurry dropped the broom clumsily outside the door as he slammed it shut.

"I take it back." Lorelai remarked rather surprised.

"Ah… huh" Luke nodded in the affirmative who also now looked quite relieved. As they headed into the living room he asked, "Did Miss Patty get some dogs or something?"

"No, I don't think so." She said making her way to the front window. "Ahh!" She almost snarled.

"What?"

"They….their…. they've multiplied!"

"Yeah, I noticed."

Lorelai took a glance in his direction, "no you couldn't. Do you know HOW many dogs are outside? Cause you can't possibly know!" She said turning back towards the window.

Luke decided to indulge her and walked over to the window, he saw about twenty dogs and they weren't just in Lorelai's yard, they were everywhere.

"I know!"

"You knew?"

"I just said I did!" Luke said slightly frustrated, "Why do you think I kept ringing your doorbell? And no, not because I like the sound." He remarked as she looked as if she was going to reply. It seemed to pacify her kidding mood for the moment but not very long.

"How?" She started as she glanced back out the window, "How did they get here?"

"I don't know, ma…" but before he could even finish the sentence they heard a pounding sound coming from the kitchen. For a second the sound caused them to look at each other then Lorelai led their way to the kitchen. Just as she began to look around to see where the sound was coming from she saw something hit her window.

_Clank, _came the noise.

Then cautiously, she opened the window to find Miss Patty throwing random items at her kitchen window.

"Lorelai!" Miss Patty exclaimed taking in a deep breath, "Did you see what's outside?"

"Yeah, Luke just came over-- we found out just now. What _happened_?" Lorelai emphasized.

"Taylor."

"Taylor?" both Luke and Lorelai exclaimed rather surprised at the response.

"How did Taylor do all of…_this?_" Lorelai asked.

Miss Patty looked around as if she were checking for eaves-droppers or spies. "You two didn't hear this from me…"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"I can't believe it," Lorelai said walking back into the living room, Luke trailing.

"I know, what's up with him lately?" Luke griped.

Lorelai looked at him strangely, "Well, shouldn't _you_ know? After all you _are_ his campaign manager." She asked, not intentionally trying to offend him though it was undeniable that it verbalized devoid of the humor it was intended to contain.

"How was I supposed to know he'd go an pull a stunt like this?!" Luke said, in his slightly frustrated angry voice—the one he'd used when she used his fax line at the Diner.

"Um, wait… oh yeah, it's _Taylor._" Lorelai retorted sarcastically using the emphasis to annoy him.

"Are you ready to go?" Luke exasperatedly questioned, hoping to change the topic.

Lorelai looked at him as if he was crazy, "Yeah, but what about those dogs?"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Before she knew it, Luke had picked her up and carried her out of the door. His concern had been that they would attack them, namely Lorelai, but he found that his fear was unfounded once they were halfway to his truck.

Suddenly Luke said, "Oh you've got to be kidding me.

Lorelai shifted in his arms to see only two dogs on his heels, and the one which had received the comment wasn't one you would normally expect to get a comment like that.

"It's cute." Lorelai cooed as the dog yipped.

Luke picked up one of his heels abruptly and checked his footing before setting it down again. Both dogs continued to alternatively bark and yip.

"You wouldn't think that if you were in my position." He retorted playfully. "Go on, get out of here!" He yelled at the bigger dog as they reached the passenger door. It looked like a lab, but it could have been a mix breed for all he knew. The dog barked again-- still standing its ground—and, while still holding Lorelai, he took a threatening step towards it and it ran off a few feet. The littler dog—the teacup Chihuahua—stayed, barking (then again, "yipping" might be the appropriate word here) the entire time.

He turned back towards the truck, and opened the door with one hand. Lorelai was just climbing in when the Chihuahua crept up. "Bark! Brrrr… Bark! Bark!" The little dog started Luke jumped slightly, not expecting the little thing so suddenly and Lorelai started laughing. Luke gave her a look and proceeded to head over to the other side of the truck. He was about to get in when he noticed something was pulling at the back of his pant leg.

"You again?!" Luke said, completely frustrated that such a little dog was giving him all this trouble.

He managed to get in the car (without the dog still latching onto his heels) and looked at his pant leg inspecting the damage, "How can such a little dog cause so much trouble?"

Lorelai didn't reply and it caused Luke to look up. As soon as he did though, he wished he hadn't – she was trying to stifle a laugh.

And they drove off.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Once they reached the restaurant, the hostess took their name and sat them almost immediately. He took the seat across from Lorelai as the Hostess left them with their menus.

"I still can't believe him." Luke said, pouting as he glanced up from his menu.

"I thought we agreed not to talk about Taylor on our date?" Lorelai said slightly accusatory, amusement tinged her voice.

Luke caught the corner of her smile as he looked up once again. "You're right I'm sorry."

A pause occurred right before, "why did he think that would sabotage Kirk?"

Luke looked up-- he hadn't expected_ that_, "What? You're allowed to bring him up?"

"Why Luke, are you… _jealous_?" Lorelai taunted.

Luke rolled his eyes, and took a sip of water. "No, I know…" she replied, "it's just… why would setting a bunch of stray dogs loose hurt Kirk's campaign?"

"You're his manager! How would I know?" Luke hollered in a whisper.

Lorelai responded, "Yeah, and you're Taylor's! You need to keep better tabs on him."

"I'm his campaign manager _not_ his babysitter." Luke replied simply.

Then out of nowhere a figure walked up to their table, "So, this is where I find you!"

Luke and Lorelai were startled for a minute until they realized who the figure was—Taylor.

Luke got mad. "Taylor!" Luke started to say in increasing volume.

Lorelai just put a hand on his arm to try and calm him down a bit, he glanced at her—getting the hint. "What are you doing here?" he said, this time without the shouting.

"More importantly _how_ did you get here?" Lorelai asked, completely amazed.

"I heard you were on a date, I tracked your phone."

"Luke's cell phone?" Lorelai asked wondering to herself whether he even _had_ one.

Taylor shook his head, "No. Your's" he said looking in Lorelai's direction. Both Luke and Lorelai quickly looked at each other, contempt, not to mention exasperation, filled their eyes.

"You did what?" Luke questioned, almost daring Taylor to test him.

"I tracked the phone." He stated as calm as anything. "You left your phone on and all I had to do was go online…"

"You followed us." Luke finished, and he rolled his eyes slightly at the thought.

Lorelai interjected at that point, "What are your doing here? And by that I mean, 'why are you invading our privacy'?"

"I'm here because Luke is here." Taylor stated matter-of-factly. He proceeded to ask a neighboring table for a chair and pulled it over to Luke's table.

"What are you his watchdog?" Lorelai joked.

"No. I'm here because I find it rather unsavory that the two of you are out to dinner together with no one to watch you." Taylor barked.

Luke got red with anger—fast. "Oh wait, what's this?" Lorelai said pulling out her cell phone.

"What?" Taylor asked, unknowingly falling into Lorelai's trap, "Whew, that was close," she said with a sigh of relief as she snapped her cell phone shut and put it back into her purse. "What?" Taylor repeated.

"Oh, nothing. Just for a minute I thought you warped us back into the 18th Century, but no, I was wrong." Lorelai replied quite calm.

This to which Taylor replied, "I know it sounds archaic, but I cannot have the two of you out together."

"And why not Taylor?" Luke growled.

Taylor, now unable to look Luke in the eyes because of the look he was giving him, replied, "Because, Lucas, you're my campaign manager. And Lorelai, well she's…" he looked around suspiciously, "Kirk's manager."

An uncomfortable amount of shifting occurred at that moment and without expecting it Taylor continued. "Besides, who would ever think that that two of you would ever go out with each other _especially_ after what happened the last time." And if anyone could have gotten a moment to ask them, they would have sworn Taylor was grinning when he said that, but to their dismay he continued further. "I mean Lorelai proposing to you! Then what a few months later and you two can't take each other anymore."

"It wasn't like that!" Luke defended, trying to keep his volume in check.

"Oh yeah, that's right you were trying to get ready for the wedding and Luke couldn't handle the pressure. _Then_…" Taylor emphasized, "you find out Lorelai's keeping a few secrets from you and once you do break off your engagement Lorelai runs off to Chirstopher!"

But before Taylor could continue, Luke stood up, "That's enough Taylor! Out!"

"But Luke…" Taylor tried-- up to then he had still been seated, "Out!" Luke shouted with finality, causing neighboring tables to stare.

"Excuse me, is there a problem?" A waitress came over and asked, clearly her reason for coming over had not been to help solve their problem, but that was ignored.

"He was just leaving," Luke said straighting his shirt and sitting himself back down.

The waitress glanced at Taylor trying to confirm whether this was the case and she, unsure of what else to do, walked past him saying, "this way, sir," and she escorted him out of the dining area.

"Finally." Luke breathed, as he grabbed the water glass for a drink. "Besides, that wasn't really what happened." Luke shrugged trying to brush off Taylor's harsh statements about the two of them.

"Well, they were a little true." Lorelai, said kind of wincing as she reached for her water.

Luke put his down.

"Not really," He replied, not really wanting to have this conversation but also not wanting to admit some of the truth carried in Taylor's statements. Lorelai looked at him with a mixture of surprise and disbelief, "Okay well maybe a little," Luke bobbed his head, "but not that much."

"Okay." Lorelai said, sitting her glass down following the wet circle her glass had made with her finger.

Luke saw the look, "What?" he asked, half-heartedly wanting to know the answer.

"You _did_ not like that I was making the plans…" Lorelai qualmed still staring at the ring of water.

"Don't try to pin this on me, you broke up with me just as much as I broke up with you."

"What are you trying to say? Huh?" Lorelai asked finally able to peel her eyes from the table.

"You proposed to me, remember that." Luke said, pointing from herself to him.

Lorelai's mouth dropped open, "You didn't have to accept!"

"Then don't hold that against me!" Luke retorted, "Remember that the next time you ask somebody to marry you!" he muttered.

"So what does this mean if I didn't ask you, you wouldn't have asked me?" Lorelai somewhat shouted.

"I don't know!" Luke replied, he would have finished his sentence, but for some reason he never said the words, _I never got the chance_.

"Great." Lorelai stated sarchastically, "It's always good to know that our relationship would have ended up nowhere!"  
"Hey, you weren't all that broken up by it! You went off with that Christopher guy—we fought it out as I recall."

"You know it not like I can kick him out of my life, he's Rory's father!" Lorelai said recoiling.

"It's the same way with me and April! I can't just kick her mom out of the way either." Luke countered.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Lorelai inquired her eyes a wash with emotions.

"You _married_ him… remember? No one ever forced you to go off and marry him." Luke querried.

"And you didn't love me enough _to ask me_." Lorelai said, full of spite; all the while there was a glimmer in her eyes flashing which he couldn't quite place.

Luke rose before she even finished her sentence, he took a breath before uttering, "All I'm saying, Lorelai," he somberly said catching her eyes, "is that if you loved me… you wouldn't have gone off and married Christopher like you did."

"Do you want a ride?" he asked quietly, still standing, however he did divert his eyes this time.

"No, I'll get a cab." She responded, not even bothering to meet his face.

And with that they parted ways.

He walked away quietly but quickly and she looked up following the path he had taken but by the time she followed it to the door, she only saw it shutting behind him. He hadn't looked back.

The realization of that alone, caused her to sniffle and she looked back towards her table. Then, after taking a moment to try and regain some of her composure, she reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone to call a cab.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"How bad could it have been?" Jess asked as he trailed Luke around his living room.

"Bad," came the reply.

As soon as Jess had seen Luke walk in, not to mention seen the time, he knew something was wrong. And he really hadn't gotten much out of his Uncle regarding what _specifically_ had happened other than "_bad_."

"Okay, so when you say 'bad'…" Jess asked, hoping for a few more details.

"I mean she yelled at me!" Luke shouted, then, toning down his anger he said, "She was mad… well we both were. But it was bad."

"That doesn't sound like Lorelai," Jess remarked as he watched his uncle fiddle with an imaginary substance on the table.

Luke looked up and caught the look that his nephew was emanating. "No, it wasn't," he said almost as if in a daze.

"So?" Jess inquired hoping Luke would wise up to the situation at hand.

"'So' what?" came Luke's meger reply.

Jess looked at him with disbelief and shrugged, "What do you mean? Are you honestly going to tell me that your just going to give up on this?"

"No." Abruptly came the reply, and Jess was quick to notice how fast he had responded to the question. "I just don't know what to do about it. I mean, do I give her, her space? Was is just a bad night or are we, 'not meant to be'?"

"Your kidding me!" Jess responded on the verge of histerics.

"What!?" Luke shrugged, not following at what was so "unbelievable" about it.

Jess stepped closer, "Oh come on! Are you the same person? I mean, have you changed or what? Cause as I recall you usually didn't give up this easily."

"This is a switch." Luke said with a hint of sarchasm.

"Yeah, you're telling me." Jess said, there was a pause before he asked. "You love her, don't you?" Jess stated and suddenly the tone of the room changed.

Luke didn't answer right away he soberly admitted, "Yeah, I guess I do. What about you? You and Rory?" Jess's head shot up at the mere mention of her name. His eyes questioned Luke's looking for a motive. "Do you still love her?" Luke asked him, once their eyes met.

They went without words for a few moments when Jess finally replied, "Yeah… I mean, I think so. Not that it matters, she's over me," he said as he leaned against a bookshelf trying to brush off the question as nothing.

"Nevertheless, you still love her." Luke said, his eyes catching with Jess' and they, even if he wouldn't verbally, admitted the truth.

And, for the first time in a long while, both Luke and Jess both seemed to agree on something—hidden though it was, but still there, regardless-- they both stood there wordlessly, for the next few minutes, in silent agreement.

Or at least until Luke suggested that they turn on the game.

-- - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Mom how bad could it have been?" Rory said as she stood on the balcony of her hotel room. It had been the first time in a week and a half that they had both gotten time to be on the other end of the phone with each other and so far their conversation had consisted of various tidbits of old movie relationships that hadn't worked out and a _brief _explanation of what happened during the date.

"Words **do not** and **cannot** express how horrible things went. I mean, it was worse than when Captain Kirk tried to smooth relations between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingons, who, by the way, killed his son. It makes the relationship between Elena and Irina Derevko look like the Cleaver's, Andy Garcia's and George Clooney's character's in the Ocean's movies were really best friends in comparison to tonight."

"Wow," was all Rory could say as she sat down on one of the patio chairs, "one thing…"

"Yeah?" Lorelai asked curious.

"When did you become a fan of Star Trek?"

"I didn't, what makes you think I am… besides technically the term is _Trekkie_." Lorelai corrected.

"Whoa, excuse me!" Rory retorted, "You've been turned haven't you?"

"If you mean turned as in eight months ago being told that this would be the first season in how many years in which some procreation of the Star Trek series would not air on television only to find that several network channels … not to mention the Sci-fi network are airing re-runs either during weekend hours or that of late night television thus depriving me of my ability to watch multiple airings of Ron Co Products? Then yes, I've been turned-- I've watched them as well as the movies." Lorelai rambled.

"There are _movies_?" Rory uttered in amazement.

"Yup, scary stuff, huh? It's amazing now I finally understand all the references in Daddy Day Care… believe it or not that movie is so much more funny now."

"Really?" Rory said slightly sarcastically. "I wouldn't have guessed."

"Hey, you could at least be a little more supportive of me here."

"Yeah, I could… but what would be the fun in that?" Rory stated before laughing really hard over the phone. Lorelai rolled her eyes. Eventually Rory was able to contain her laughter and managed a, "I'm sorry, continue."

"Anyway it was bad."

"I got that." Rory said, smirking over the phone. "But, couldn't you be overstating it just a little? "

Lorelai thought, "No, not really. The point is…" Lorelai said getting back into her more somber tone of voice, "I don't know maybe I'm just not right for him… I said some things I probably shouldn't have and the worst thing about it, is that regardless of what he said, he didn't deserve that— not from me—or from anybody for that matter— and I just can't keep putting him through that. It's not fair. We get together and only end up hurting each other. It's not right. I have to let him go. He should find someone else. Someone… I don't know… who doesn't put their problems on him."

"What are you even talking about mom? You know Luke, he likes fixing things for you. He always has. Remember that time you broke that window and you knew that if you called anyone else he would have thrown a fit."

Lorelai started to absentmindedly fiddle with some papers that stuck out of a book on a shelf. "He.. You didn't see what happened."

"But, come on you had one bad date it's not like Luke hasn't seen you during a bad day before. Maybe he was having a bad day too."

Lorelai rolled her eyes to the ceiling as to mask her feelings "You weren't there Rory," she snapped a little too harshly. "Adults aren't supposed to do that to each other!"

Rory was a little hurt, seeing as her mom was yelling at her but she knew better—she knew that her mom was just hurting, so she took a breath and replied, "I'm just saying it's not like you can't get past tonight… just move on. See him tomorrow and talk to him about it." Rory said, almost reaching the point of pleading.

Then, all of a sudden the book that Lorelai had been fiddling the pages with fell off of the shelf with a thud.

"What _was_ that?" Rory asked.

Lorelai's frustration showed as she replied, "Nothing. Just a stupid book fell."

Rory replied after a moments thought, "Look mom, just trust me. Things will work out."

Lorelai stood with a hand to her head in a kind of thoughtful frustration, "How do know that Rory?" she asked but the way she said it over the phone made it sound to Rory as if there had been a small sigh signifying loss. "How," Lorelai said getting her regular voice back, "do you know that everything _can_ work out? How can you _know_ that it won't turn out like Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and what's his name? That we won't just go back to our old ways and live apart for the rest of our lives?"

Rory momentarily confused replied, "For the record I have no idea what made you bring up that movie reference, but I do know. I don't know how, but I've just always known." Rory said staring off the balcony to the street of shoppers below. "Don't get me wrong, you and dad are great together, but it's not quite the same as you and Luke."

Lorelai looked up, removed the hand from her face and rubbed the corner of her eye for just a second and replied, "Thanks, kid. Hey, I have to go for just a minute I'll call you back." Lorelai said trying to excuse herself in a hurry, not wanting Rory to hear her sniffle.

"Sure, that's fine I'll be up." Rory said, not knowing anything was up.

"Bye." Lorelai said, trying to get off the phone as fast as she could.

"Bye."

It was after she had hung up the phone with Rory, did she then lean down and pick up the book which had unceremoniously fallen spilling it's contents all over the floor. And as she picked it up, a bunch of other papers fell out of it. She sighed and as she got down on her knees to pick up the fallen papers she sniffled once, annoyed at the inconvience of having to pick up all this stuff, but when she had picked up a couple of the papers she came across one object that looked kind of like a photo. Of course she couldn't tell of what as it was lying facedown, but she picked it up and turned it over, only to see a picture of Rory when she was little, herself, and Luke standing next to her, staring back.

It was then she knew.

She sat down and folded up her knees and her hand went to her face— again…

And this time she wept.

-- - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_A/n: By the way, I am in no way degrading Star Trek, Star Wars, Alias, or any of the other Pop Culture references that appear through this chapter. In fact, I'm quite a fan of all of them. The Ron Co products kind of came to me suddenly… I blame the fact I read the TV commercials on Fanfic. I didn't know they had those as fan fic until just the other day. FYI, the Head On ones are the best! Sheesh now I sound like Lorelai cause I'm rambling… sorry about that- Bye!_

_P.S. I am not suggesting Luke hurt any of the animals (just thought I should clear that up in case anyone gets the wrong idea). Believe me I love animals and it's not like Luke would anyway—he saved Paul Anka (if you remember ____ ). _


	10. Maybe You Should Run

Disclaimer: I don't own—but you already knew this

_**Disclaimer: I don't own—but you already knew this. Chapter titles are lyrics from the song by The Fray, "Fall Away".**_

_A/n: Hey, all! Thank you so much for the great reviews. I hope you like the direction this story is taking. Only 3 more chapters left…_

Chapter 9…

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Lorelai sat bunched up on the floor for another twenty minutes before she even thought about getting up. At first, she didn't want to, but she caved just as soon as her stomach started growling.

She pulled herself off the floor and sat the book and all its contents on the bed (minus the photo of course, which she stood up against the lamp on her nightstand). After cleaning up the mess, and changing her clothes, she went downstairs to the kitchen to find something to eat. She trotted over to the refrigerator and looked around to see what exactly was available. Finally, she decided on the left over Chinese takeout.

She grabbed a pair of chopsticks from a drawer and took the leftovers, the chopsticks, and her frozen frappaccino out to the living room. On her way to the couch she grabbed the phone and sat everything down on the table. She grabbed the remote, flipped the channels until she landed on something she could actually stand, before dialing Rory's number.

"Hello?" Rory asked as she picked up the phone, she had been reading a book while eating the food she ordered from room service, so she hadn't looked at the time or, for that matter, the Caller I.D.

"Hey, it's me!" Lorelai said promptly before shoving another mouthful of food into her mouth. After a moment of dead silence, Lorelai started to wonder what was going on the other end of the phone. "Rory?" she asked. Nothing. "Rooooorrrryyy?" she started calling, musically dragging out her daughter's name.

"Oh, sorry what?" Rory said, not fully paying attention as she turned yet another page.

"Are you there?" Lorelai asked chewing on a piece of General Tso's chicken.

"Am I here what?" Rory asked, taking a bite of her French fry.

Lorelai crinkled her nose, "What?" Then she thought for a minute, "I think I'll turn Rory's room into Paul Aanka's, what do you think Paul? Would you like Rory's room for your very own?" She said to the dog who was sleeping on the couch next to her-- he didn't move, his eyes just shifted.

"Wait, what?" Rory said, snapping to attention as she listened to a bunch of cutesy noises her mother was making to Paul. "Mom?" She asked calmly.

"Finally!" Lorelai said, "I've been waiting for you to return from the mother ship."

"Sorry, I was reading this book…" Rory said snapping the book shut as she sat it on the nightstand next to her. She grabbed a fry before continuing, "It's really good."

"Are you eating?" Lorelai asked.

Rory's voice turned quizzical, "Yeah… why?"

"No, just curious."

"Don't worry I haven't gone Rocky Balboa on you." Rory assured.

Lorelai switched containers as well as the channel which was now showing a marathon of some foreign cartoon. She started flipping until she landed on a channel showing back to back Tom Hanks movies. "Uh, huh," she started, "you better not."

"So what are you eating?" Rory asked. "Or would a starving 3rd world country not like to know?"

Lorelai leaned back on the couch as she replied, "Hey, China would not what I'm eating right now, okay? Besides you inherited my eating habits, so anything you say is going back onto you." She smiled.

Rory took a bite of pickle before replying, "Chinese huh?" She waited till her mother took another mouthful before adding, "You know that's not the actual food they eat in China? It's Americanized." Lorelai sat up, "Then why do they call it Chinese food?"

"Because it's Chinese food but, they've added stuff to it." Rory retorted.

Lorelai got up and headed over to the fridge, "Then why does the pamphlet say, 'Authentic Chinese Food'?"

Rory answered very seriously, "because, if they put 'Authentic Chinese-Americanized Food," no one would buy it. And that's not a pamphlet that's a flyer."

Lorelai's mouth dropped open, "Miss Cleo, you've returned… I thought you, were gone for good…"

"Mom!" Rory whined into the phone.

Lorelai headed back towards the living room as she replied, "Seriously, how did you do that?"

"I know. I've seen it before." Rory said and, upon hearing her mother scoffing her with a 'yeah right' she uttered, "I haven't been gone that long… just a couple of months."

"Fine then where did I move the red pillow?" Lorelai said sitting her chopsticks down as she tossed the pillow across the room onto the chair nearest the stairs.

Rory rolled her eyes, "It's on the chair near the stairs."

Lorelai looked around making sure Rory hadn't been standing there and asked, "How did you know?"

"It's always been there," came the reply.

Lorelai suddenly realized she was right when she heard, "Why? Shouldn't you know?" Then there was a sudden pause, "you threw it? Didn't you?"

"Seriously?" Lorelai said amazed, "what have you been taking psychic pills or something? Tell me what are the lotto numbers for tomorrow going to be?"

"Mom!" Rory said in exasperation.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

After several more minutes of joshing by Lorelai Gilmore, Rory was finally able to start talking about things that had been going on with her.

"So, tell me everything." Lorelai said, rather chipper.

"There's not a lot to tell actually, we've been moving a lot, but you already knew that."

Lorelai agreed, "Yeah, still. But there has to be something you can tell me about it."

"The food's really good, and there's a minibar complete with snacks in the minifridge."

Rory said, assessing her room.

"Oooo, tell me more." Lorelai cooed.

"It's good, but it's hotel food." Rory said a little despondently while kind of scrunching up her nose.

Lorelai a little surprised replied, "Yeah, but I thought you like hotel food? Where are they keeping you, some po-dunk motel 6 in the hood?"

Rory laughed in response, "No, of course not."

"I take it your just going to ignore what I just said?" Lorelai half asked and stated.

"Yup pretty much." Rory replied nodding. There was a pause before continuing, "I'll just parental control the TV when I get home."

Lorelai interrupted, "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, 'what do I mean'?" Rory asked confused.

"You said, 'when I get home.' What's that supposed to mean?" Lorelai asked, undecided if she should be more worried or excited.

"I just meant it as in general, kind of like when parents say, 'don't make me come back there' while their driving 60+ miles per hour on the freeway. They don't mean literally this minute." Rory said, simply as if stating fact.

"Oh," was all Lorelai replied.

"What?" Rory asked.

"Nothing," Lorelai countered. Then there was a pause, one which Lorelai was a little too slow to fill, the consequences of which resulted in Rory's filling the space. "Say it."

"It just sounds like your considering coming home, but apparently I was wrong. So, forget it."

Pause.

"You aren't thinking of quitting your job. Are you?" She asked, drawing out the question.

"Well, yes and no." Rory said, making a face—this wouldn't go over well and she knew it.

"Why? What's wrong?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"Nothing really, it's just that I don't really feel like I'm really living up to my potential here. I mean when I got here I was really getting a lot done, I was writing and reporting. The last few weeks though I've spent more time working for the professional reporters than I have at my own desk. I don't feel the same as when I did when I was working for the Yale paper. It's like something is missing and I can't get it back."

"Maybe your just going through a writer's block or something, you'll get it back." replied Lorelai, attempting to help.

"That's just it; I don't know what 'it' is. How do I know that I'll get 'it' back?" Rory asked.

"I know, and not only because I know you'll figure out what it is that you need to do, but because I didn't plan my life Rory. When I was in high school I was too busy with my parents shindigs and loving The Stones, too much to care what I was going to do with the rest of my life—you—you always knew. I didn't plan on getting pregnant at 16 and being a single mom and getting kicked out of my parents place (though leaving or having my mom find her true self was always a dream.) But I did it, I had you, bought a house, heck, I even own an inn!

"Yeah," Rory replied, thinking over what her mom just told her, "did I tell you what I found in the bookstore the other day?"

"No, what?"

"I went in to this bookstore, the other day cause I had off, and I sat down to browse through a couple books and you'll never guess what one of the clerks was putting up straight across from where I was sitting," said Rory with a touch of disbelief.

"Who's?" Lorelai, demanded.

"Jess'!" Rory blurted out.

Lorelai was dumbfounded, "No!"

"I know right?"

"No!" Lorelai repeated.

"So I started flipping through it, I mean I know I already read it once but, it was just different reading it this time. And what he said made a lot of sense. I didn't really realize how much his book related to my situation until I looked at it again."

Lorelai sighed, "Rory there's something you should know."

"What's that?" Rory asked, sensing something bad.

"Jess is in town." She blurted, "He's been staying with Luke, but no one knows why."

"What a coincidence." She said sarcastically _three ex-boyfriends in how long? You've got to be kidding me._ It wasn't until after thinking that, that she realized she'd said it out loud and over the phone.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"_Three_?" Lorelai harped.

Rory just sat there, completely embarrassed. If there had been one thing that she didn't want to do it was having said the previous statement aloud. She sighed, not really wanting to delve into the subject at hand but she began anyways, "I didn't tell you, but remember that time I told you I saw Logan."

"Logan?" Lorelai repeated half to herself and half to Rory, "uh, yeah?" She wasn't really sure how to react mentioning that again.

"What… what happened?" Lorelai asked, almost tiptoeing around the topic. As soon as it hit hot water that would be the end of this discussion.

"_Logan?"_

"_What?!" Logan had growled._

"_Are you okay? I just wanted to ask you a question." Rory said slightly hurt._

"_Why? Because you think that's going to get us back together? Or do you just want to not feel guilty for something? Cause you can't, Rory." Logan said so harshly that he almost forgot what he was waiting for._

"_Wait this is totally unfair. I just thought since we ran into each other we could just be friendly. I'm not over here begging to come into your life again."_

"_Yeah? And why's that? Because I'm not worth it?" he said, pain showing in his eyes._

"_No, I never said that." Rory said, trying to reason with him._

"_I never said that." Rory said, trying to reason with him._

"_No, you didn't. You just said you wouldn't marry me." He turned away. But when he turned back a few seconds later he added, "Because you know what Rory? You tell me that 'You need to think about it.' But you don't know whether this is what you want at all. You're willing to leave everything behind for who knows how long? But you're not willing to leave it…for me? I learned something being away from you Rory… I learned I don't need you." And this time he left never getting the olives. _

_Rory watched as he took the drinks to the girls then sat down next to one of them and gave her the other he was holding. Before Rory could look away the girl sitting to his right leaned into him and kissed him square on the mouth. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye— he knew she had been watching._

"Wow," was all Lorelai could say once she finished, or, thought she finished, "There's more." She heard the other end of the phone interject which, as soon as the words finally sank in, she felt her heart drop a little.

"Dean was there too…"

"Wait, I can understand why Logan was there—he's a Huntsberger—he gets like fifty-thousand a week for his allowance anyway… but why was Dean at the restaurant? And why didn't you mention this the last time we spoke?" Lorelai said, babbling.

"I just didn't know how to tell you. And I wasn't sure I wanted to. And Dean, I don't know, why he was there I don't remember all I know is after I spoke to Logan I left and a little while after I did… I ran into Dean."

"He asked me why I was so upset, and we just talked for a little while. I left for my hotel a little while later, so I don't know where he went or anything. But, we just… talked." Rory said, remembering how nice it had been to see a familiar face. She almost smiled except she suddenly remembered the other topic they had been discussing and her smile evaporated almost as quickly as it could have taken form.

"Sheesh," Lorelai said.

Rory, on the other hand, replied with, "Yeah, then add that the Jess and Jess' book thing and viola!" Rory said with mock enthusiasm, "all three ex-boyfriends."

"Ugh," Lorelai breathed--agitated, "this sucks."

"Yeah." Rory said, less than enthusiastic about it; in fact, she was down right frustrated by it at times, but she was trying to chalk it up to coincidence just to ease her mind.

"It's not like I'm going to go to pieces over it, it's just weird, you know?"

"Well, I'm glad you're taking it so well, I don't know if that would be my reaction to that kind of news or not." Lorelai said, calmly.

"Yeah, I don't know somehow it's not a big deal to me—I mean it is— but it doesn't bother me like it normally would. The only thing that's really bothering me is this work thing."

"We can keep talking about it if you want."

"I do and yet I don't… I mean I realize this is only an internship and yeah I am writing for one of those online political things, it great… it's just doesn't feel like it's propelling me anywhere."

"Ror..." Lorelai tried to interject, "I know what you're going to say mom," Rory continued, "I know, 'everyone has to start at the bottom' it's not like I'm not enjoying it, I _am _enjoying getting my work published and all. It's very stimulating interviewing and being around politicians don't get me wrong, but … I just feel like something's telling me that there's something else… that this might not be what I was supposed to do. When I was little I dreamed of doing something like this, but somehow I get this feeling and it's telling me I'm not supposed to be here."

"That's weird, but do you know what the 'something else' is?" Lorelai asked posing the question.

"No, that's the thing I don't, but I'm suddenly okay with letting this go, which is something I never thought I _would_ be. Whatever this feeling is… I get it every time I come across something that reminds me of Stars Hollow."

"Are you sure you're not homesick?" Lorelai posed almost jokingly.

"Maybe at first, but no… ever since the day I was flipping through Jess' book at the bookstore it's like I realize I'm not supposed to be here."

"Huh…" Lorelai said, milling it over in her head, she hit the mute button on her remote.

"I think I know why I get it when I see something that reminds me of home."

"Why's that?"

"I think it's telling me to go back. That…whatever it is that I'm supposed to be doing is back home. I mean look at all my friends back home. Lane dreamed of going away to other places for years, now she's married, has kids. She's at home. I've wanted to be a foreign correspondent since I could talk, but I never really dreamed of traveling so much and yet here I am hot on the campaign trail!" Rory enthused but she pacified her tone before adding, "I still know I want to be a foreign correspondent, mom, I haven't changed my mind, I just feel that right now … maybe the best thing for me to do is to go home."

"I don't know," Lorelai said, "Maybe you should…"

"Quit?" Rory finished.

"Maybe." Lorelai responded. "I don't know honey. This is your thing; this has to be your decision. But if that's what you feel you should do then maybe you should go ahead and do it."

Rory sighed as she got out the bed and walked over to the balcony doors she looked out onto the city as if something out there would tell her what she had to do. More importantly she wished it were that easy, that her choice could be made that simply. But it wasn't.

"Thanks, mom." Rory said, deciding there was no point in keeping her mom on the phone any longer.

"You sure you don't need anything else?" Lorelai asked affectionately.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks." Rory softly replied, still drifting between decisions.

Lorelai replied, "Okay, well call me if you need anything. I'll be here. Love you."

"Love you too… bye mom." Rory said hanging up. There was something about her mom saying "I'll be here" that made her feel safe and secure. It was like a warm blanket—one that she had been missing for a long time—or so it seemed.

Suddenly she realized what she had to do.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

When Lorelai finally hung up the phone with her daughter she saw that it was getting rather late, so she check the clock. It read 11:15.

She was filled with apprehension the more she considered it and continued to stare at the clock. _Maybe he's still there_. She thought.

Then as the clock flipped to 11:16, she got up and went upstairs. She grabbed her purse and a few things off her nightstand before racing down the stairs. On her way out she grabbed her coat ran out the door to her jeep.

A little while later she pulled up in front of the diner, and even though it was dimly lit, Luke could still be seen visibly cleaning the last few remaining items and setting the chairs on the table. He didn't look up as she quickly parked and ran over to the window. He was putting the salt and pepper shakers that he had just filled back onto the tables when he happened to look up in her direction.

At first he just stood there staring at her—half wondering what in the world she was doing out—but he was also surprised because after their fight, she was the last thing he expected to see. He wanted to go over and open the door to let her in, but part of him still worried she was mad at him.

Lorelai just stood there for a moment, staring back at him with an apologetic look on her face. He walked towards the window but stopped a few feet away, still unsure. She pulled something out of her purse and pressed it against the window. Her eyes looked from it to him.

Luke saw her press the object to the glass and he tottered closer in curiosity. _What did she have that would cause her to come here at this late hour? Especially after what happened earlier?_ He wondered as he reached the glass then, leaning forward, to see what it was that she had, he saw the photo.

The moment he realized what it was he straightened back up and looked Lorelai back in the face. She was here to make up.

A moment passed and he walked over to the door she couldn't see what he was doing until… it opened. She walked over to the door and let herself in-- meeting him as soon as she had passed through the doorframe. She looked at him as if waiting for some kind of a reply.

He slowly smiled and she returned the gesture.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_A/n: Well, well, well, looks like I've been causing some mischief amongst the characters… giggles_

_But hey, look on the bright side; at least I got Luke and Lorelai to make up. (!)_

_By the way the idea for Rory came from my own experiences… I'm the only one of my friends (who all planned to leave home after graduation except for me) who actually went away to college and now I'm wondering if I should stay back home too. Cause, like Rory, I don't feel the urge to go there like I once dreamed and I too am suddenly okay with going somewhere else._

_Thanks, for reading chapter 9. I hope you all have the best summer!_

_More to come (soon I hope!)._

_--Vanessacarltonfan_

_ possible partial line/reference from the show_

_P.S. Quick poll:_

_Which ex should Rory make up with?_

_Jess or Dean._

_(Message or Review responses please… there will be a poll on my profile so you can use that too if you prefer.)_

_Thanks once again._

_-- -- -- _

_P.S. (July 25, 2008) A/n: Chapters 1-4 have been edited. _

_You might have to re-read parts of them, as I changed quite a bit (fyi). And there are a few more changes that need to be made yet, to chapters 5-8, but other than that I'm almost done._

_So far I've fixed Dean's divorce with Lindsay, changed the names of Rory's co-workers a little and added better descriptions, fixed the timeline, edited the pop culture references, fixed the Friday dinner problem, fixed the "mayor" issue, detailed Rory's job more, and I fixed the spelling of Michel's name. (Yeah, I've been busy!) So hopefully you won't find any of those errors anywhere else in the story. Thanks to those of you who pointed a couple of them out to me. _

_As of right now I'm looking for a beta, so let me know if you'd like to. More details about that will be on my profile.- Vanessacarltonfan_


	11. Something you said, that can't be undone

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls, or the characters

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls, or the characters. And, for that matter the song, "Fall Away," by the Fray. The story title and chapter headings are all lyrics from their song, so credit them, not me. Thanks.**

_A/n: Hey, again. Hope everything's been going well for all of you. I've been busy… and if you don't believe me chapter 10's author's note proves it (lol). But other than all of that, I've been planning the end of this story._

_As you probably already know, this is the 2__nd__ to last chapter and; as a result, I'm a little siked as well as sad about it. I mean, I've had some good times with this story, and it's the first story I ever wrote with any kind of outline so I almost don't want to let a good thing die. (If you know what I mean.) But, I guess you don't want to be sitting here reading some author from "who knows where" blab about her story ending. I mean heck I'm the author right? If I don't want it to, it doesn't have to. _

_Thanks to: LoveStainedHeart, Jeremy Shane, KassiLou, bunski, kristy hudson, Starwatcher123, and S.Mariano. _

_So, I'll leave it at that for now, _

_Till the 2__nd__ author note -- Vanessacarltonfan_

_P.S. you may have to read chapter 8 (towards the end) again to get something I have written here._

_Now… I bring you Chapter Ten—Eleven to fanfic. (It's ten only to my plot outline. lol)_

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"You're what?" Peyton said next morning at work.

"It's a little thing called, 'quitting'," replied Rory as she walked to the vending machine. "I believe most people have heard of it."

Peyton, stunned for a second, stood there until Rory was almost out of sight and then she sped up to catch her. "You know I've heard of it, it's just you can't. We were having so much fun here." She said as Rory stopped at the machine.

"We work out butts off." Rory corrected debating what to get out of the machine.

"What about movie Thursdays?" Peyton asked as Rory pressed a couple of buttons.

"You want something?" Rory asked casually holding up a few quarters. "The usual," Peyton replied as Rory began putting money in the machine.

"That happened twice." Rory added.

"What did?" Peyton asked still a little shell shocked from the news.

"The movies?" Rory replied as she handed Peyton her potato skins. Both opened their snacks before continuing, "Still… it was fun. Short of Jamie and the guys…" Rory gave her a questioning look, "on occasion that is" Peyton added. "You're the only one I really talk to. Besides the way some of the people act around here you'd think we were born on opposite ends of the galaxy or something."

"No kidding," Rory smiled as she took a bite of her Doritos and scanned the room.  
"Honestly," Peyton agreed. "You can't…" she began, "…you sure there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" She asked Rory as they stopped at her desk. "No." she replied, "I really think I've made up my mind on this."

"If you don't mind me 'prying' into your life… why _are_ you leaving?"

Rory smiled—she had expected this— she wiped her fingers and sat the bag down before continuing, "I don't know."

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" Peyton interrupted.

"Hey, let me finish," Rory smirked, "I mean I don't know how to explain it very well. It's like I know I'm not supposed to be here."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever looked forward to something and then just it didn't matter anymore?"

"I guess…"

"It's a great job, I mean it looks great on my resume and all, but I just know somehow that it's not meant to be."

Peyton seemed to be following what she was saying, but Rory added to what she was saying regardless, "Maybe I left something back home, something I wasn't supposed to leave—at least not yet. But I'll never know if I don't find out."

"I'm going to miss you." She said, hugging Rory.

"Thanks, I'll miss you too." "

"And hey, I'm not leaving for another week," Rory adding trying to persuade her friend.

"Yeah that's right…" Peyton realized, "Then we are going to have so much fun!" She said a little deviously.

"By the way," Rory heard her say, "I do understand what you said."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"I can't believe what's going on!" Someone said as people came into the town meeting.

"Taylor better do something—and quick!" Miss Patty said to the person behind her.

Meanwhile, Taylor was talking to Kirk outside of the corner of the building. "Kirk, today I've decided to let you be town selectman for the day."

"What?" Kirk asked rather confused.

"You're in charge for today—today only" Taylor added trying to clear things up with Kirk up front.

"You're letting me run the town?"

"Not exactly… but yes."

"Why? What's the catch?" Kirk asked sensing something.

"There's no catch!" Taylor exclaimed.

"There has to be, you're never this nice to me. Why are you nice to me Taylor?"

"Kirk! You ask too many questions. Go in there." Taylor said, pushing him towards the entrance.

"Why? Why are you sending me in there? What's in there?" Kirk blabbered. "Taylor!" Kirk yelled as Taylor walked away.

Kirk walked in shortly thereafter and for the most part everyone kept muttering to each other until he got on the dais that is…

"Kirk? What's Kirk doing up there?" Babette asked curiously.

"Kirk? What are you doing up here?" Miss Patty asked.

"Hello?" Kirk asked, talking into the mike.

"Kirk, get off stage!" Someone shouted angrily from the back.

"Where's Taylor?" Lorelai asked.

"Taylor's not coming," he replied simply.

"Not coming?" Babette asked.

Lorelai tapped her head against the chair in front of her… she'd forgotten about that. And she mentally told Luke how much she hated his plans.

"Taylor, put me in charge for the day." Kirk announced blissfully happily.

"Why would Taylor do a stupid thing like that?" Miss Patty asked.

"To avoid dealing with the mess he's made! That's why!" Someone else shouted from the back.

"Anyway, what's the issue at hand?" Kirk asked attempting to deal with the problem at hand.

The crowd went silent and looked around at each other for a moment in amazement. He didn't even know what the problem was he had to deal with! Taylor was really in it this time. But, next thing they knew— a loud argument broke out causing no one to understand what's going on.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Luke, I hate you." Lorelai said very calmly walking in the door to his diner about a half an hour later.

Jess sat there eating as she walked up next to him, waiting for Luke to appear.

"Now what'd I do?" Luke asked coming out of the kitchen with a trio of somewhat hot looking plates.

"You gave Taylor that crumby idea about letting Kirk run the town." Lorelai replied miserably.

"You what?" Jess coughed suddenly— nearly choking on his food.

"Oh, no," said Luke as he turned having sat down the plates.

"You did _what_?" Jess repeated wide eyed.

"You mind?" Luke asked Jess.

"Fine, I'll give you two you're 'space'." Jess said finishing the last bite from his plate and took a sip of water before leaving. "While I'm out I'll be sure and let everyone know that you told Taylor to let Kirk in charge." He remarked sarcastically.

Luke rolled his eyes, then, focusing back on Lorelai he said, "I am so sorry. I didn't think something like this would happen." He said shaking his head.

"Well, it has." Lorelai said collapsing dramatically on the counter.

"How'd the meeting go otherwise?" Luke asked.

"You mean the part where Kirk didn't even know what the meeting was about? Or the part where he's _in charge_?" Lorelai dramatically emphasized.

"Well, what'd he say he was going to do about it?" Luke asked as Lorelai gave him a pitiable look.

"He said, 'I'll see what I can do to resolve this situation.'" Lorelai said, imitating Kirk's voice.

"See there," Luke started to say.

"What, where?" Lorelai asked un-amused and upset.

"He said that he'll take care of it and he will."

"When did you become such a fan of Kirk?" Lorelai asked, thinking back to all the times Luke didn't believe in Kirk.

"I don't know either Jess put something in my water, _or_" Luke paused, "about the same time we became campaign managers for the two of them."

Lorelai looked at him like he must have been kidding before responding verbally, "Jess does know a lot of shady people…."

"Lorelai?" Luke prompted but, after a minute he changed his question. "Shouldn't you be helping your candidate if you're so worried anyway?"

Then Lorelai really gave him a look and dramatically flailed herself on the counter yet again.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Kirk, it needs to be today." Lorelai demanded as she stood outside with Sookie and Michel.

"I understand." Kirk said as he surveyed the ground in front of the inn.

"We're losing money … not to mention customers everyday we don't have water." Michel added.

"Plus, we can barely cook." Sookie remarked.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do." Kirk said. "But, as you know half the town is without water. So we'll add you to the list, and get this straightened out."

"Please Kirk," Lorelai begged as he was about to leave.

"By the way, do you want everything back as it was?"

"What?" Sookie asked.

"The yard here," Kirk pointed.

"I would settle for just some water at this point." Lorelai stated.

"But you would _prefer _it?" Kirk asked inquisitively.

"It's not necessary, Kirk." Lorelai said hiding behind her clenched fake smile.

Then he turned and made some notes on his little pad of paper he had in front of him.

"What happened to the dogs?" Michel asked to Lorelai and Sookie as they were left standing there.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"That's it we have no water." Sookie said, walking out to Lorelai at the reception desk about three hours later.

"What do you mean? And please don't mean what I think it means."

"We're out. Tapped dry." Sookie rephrased nervously.

"What'll we do? We still have a few customers… we can't let them leave." Sookie added as Lorelai stood there with a hand to her head in thought.

"Lorelai?" Michel asked.

"I'm thinking." Lorelai replied irritated. Then suddenly she picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Who are you calling? Who is she calling?" Michel asked Sookie who shrugged in response.

"Luke!" Lorelai shouted into the phone, "Hey, I have a big question for you."

There was a pause….

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Sure." Luke said without flinching. His voice conveyed no emotions—he was neither happy nor upset by it—which, surprised Lorelai obviously.

"What was that?" Lorelai asked, disbelieving.

"What was what?" Then he thought, "You mean the …? Yeah, I said you can."

Lorelai's mouth dropped open, "What was that I missed it again?"

"You can use my kitchen." Luke said, crossing his arms.

Lorelai started to remark but, Luke knew she was going to say it—again, "Lorelai!"

"What? I'm sorry; I just find it 'hard' to believe that you would just let me use your kitchen like this." Lorelai muttered.

"What did you expect? Fireworks and an explosion?" Luke replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, I did." Lorelai replied as Luke's body dropped in disbelief. He took a moment and looked down at the floor before looking at her. "You can't blame me," she replied, "You're a very explosiony, implosiony, firework type of guy. Lots of yelling, anger--throwing stuff!" She babbled.

"You done?"

"Yeah."

"And Luke?" She asked after the pause.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Meanwhile at Doose's Market. Gypsy saw Taylor shelving in one of the corners of the store.

"Taylor, why didn't you go to the town meeting?" Gypsy asked. He heard her and began to evade her by walking to a different part of the store. She, on the other hand, wouldn't let up and continued to follow him till she got an answer of some kind.

After a few more minutes and several more "Taylor!'s" she caught up with him. "I was… I… was…" Taylor asked thinking of an excuse.

Well, Gypsy wasn't buying anything after that, "Yeah, Taylor. You work on that. It's doesn't matter Kirk's taking care of the whole thing."

"What do you mean?" he inquired.

Gypsy sighed, "You put him in charge? Remember?" She waited for some sign of confirmation.

When Taylor looked half agreeable, she added, "Well, anyway he's at least taken care of the dogs."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"This is so great that you're letting us come over and use your kitchen, Luke." Sookie said as she and the entire Dragonfly kitchen staff started to bring their things into his diner.

"It's no problem." Luke replied side stepping one of the staff carrying a frozen chicken at the last moment.

"Seriously?" Sookie inquired. "You're amazing! I know I can't give up my kitchen that easily and…. Well, I owe you for this."

"Again, it's not a problem. I can use my kitchen upstairs." He said, as someone almost side swiped him with some vegetables. "Let me know if you need anything." He said, before Lorelai came in. She brought the van, which was parked right outside and she had a list in hand.

"Hey, Sookie?" Lorelai shouted as she walked over and kissed Luke on the cheek. He smiled, knowing what it was for and Sookie came out of the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"I have the _first_ orders from the inn, and Michel is getting the others." Lorelai said, handing over the list.

"Oh, good!" She said with an air of relief, "Guess I better get started then." Sookie responded with a grin.

"Thanks again, I'm sorry to be such a pain." Lorelai said.

"Ah, it's nothing."

"How are you..." Lorelai questioned. She was just beginning to wonder how he was going to cook for the people coming to his restaurant. But, somehow, instinctually, he interrupted with the answer to her exact question, "Upstairs, in my apartment."

"Oh!" she replied, just beginning to realize that was a viable solution.

"By the way, I brought something. I'll be right back." She said leaving her purse on the counter as she opened the van and began carrying a big grey and cream colored object.

Luke walked over to the door to help her get it in but as he did, he had to know, "What is _that_?"

"This?" Lorelai said, checking. "What's it look like? It's a Fax machine."

"A fax machine?" Luke stated. He was beginning to wonder why he hadn't seen something like this coming before now. She began to put it on the counter as he snapped back to the situation at hand.

"Yeah, you know. Send messages from one building to another." She answered. "I would have brought a computer—that way we could just get e-mails, but I remembered you didn't have DSL and that you _do_ have a Fax line which, in this case, is much faster." She rambled.

Luke stood there shaking his head, "What?" she asked.

"I didn't understand a word of that conversation."

"Okay, let's see if I can restate that. This," she said pointing to the machine, "is a fax machine."

"I got that, the first time." Luke interjected.

"Shhh" she hushed continuing, "And using this fax line," she said attaching the line to the wall, "I connect it and viola," she said as the machine began to spit out a piece of paper, "Faxes!" Then she took the paper to the kitchen and came back to where he was still standing.

"Why do we need faxes?" He wondered allowed, "Who's sending us faxes?"

Lorelai just stood there as he added, "I've had that line for 4 years now and no one's ever needed to send me a fax. Why now?"

"Are you done, Columbo+?" she asked. After she didn't get a reply, she explained, "It's the Inn…"

"What's the inn?"

"The faxes. Michel is faxing the orders from the inn, this way we can save the time it takes driving back and forth to the inn in the van and we can just take all the orders back over in one quick trip."

"I see." Luke said crossing his arms.

"You still don't get it." Lorelai announced.

"No, but I'm afraid I am." Luke said before heading over to the window. Outside he saw Taylor storm out of his Market and head down the square. Something was up, he could tell.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Luke!" Taylor shouted as he opened the door to Luke's apartment about three hours later.

"What is it Taylor?" Luke grumbled as he sat at the table in his kitchen. This was his break, so he decided to grab some food; plus, Sookie was still in his kitchen downstairs and he thought he'd give her some space for a little while—otherwise he would have been downstairs.

"Do you know what's going on?"

"What's that?" Luke asked, not really interested in the conversation.

"Kirk is ruining everything." Taylor whined.

"Ruining what Taylor?" Luke said, as he got up to get something out of the fridge.

"Ruining my chances of getting elected that's what." He spouted.

Luke, still not really interested replied, "What happened?" and waited for Taylor to respond.

"Everyone I've ran into today keeps telling me what a good job Kirk is doing. First Gypsy, chasing me down _in my own store_ might I add and tells me he took care of the situation regarding the dogs…"

"Those dogs were a menace!" Luke snapped.

"They weren't dangerous. They all had their shots," Taylor replied calmly.

"_They_ almost bit me!" Luke cried.

But, Taylor ignored his comment, and went back to his original conversation, "Then, this whole water disaster. He was supposed to flop miserably. He was supposed to fail and not be able to handle the situation and beg me to come back and save him from disaster."

"You do realize that the whole point of being townman…"

"Town selectman!" Taylor corrected pouting.

"Alright" Luke agreed, "Town selectman is to do good for the people. To do—what's best—for the people." Luke said. "People don't just elect a guy so he can have some silly title," Taylor sat down in one of Luke's chairs pouting as he finished, "They elect someone who they think will do the job at hand. Take care of the matters that need taken care of. Believe me—Ted Kennedy didn't get elected by letting an entire pack of dogs loose on city streets."

"You're right." Taylor said, grudgingly—he was still upset things weren't going in his favor.

"So," Luke began once the atmosphere cooled, "Kirk's taking care of the water thing?"

Taylor looked up, "Yeah, he was almost done with the Dragonfly when I left."

"When was this?" Luke asked.

Taylor looked at his watch, "about thirty minutes ago. I don't know…. Why?"

Luke got up and headed to the door to his apartment. "By the way Taylor," he said.

Taylor looked at him, still somewhat unhappy, but he looked at him waiting for whatever Luke was going to say.

"It's nothing." Luke said, turning to leave. Telling Taylor he didn't want to be his campaign manager would just have to wait for another day.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Meanwhile, downstairs a fax was coming through and Lorelai began to read it. Mid-way through the paper she got a huge grin on her face.

"What is it?" Luke asked as he walked over from the door to his apartment.

"What's what?" Sookie asked seeing the two of them chatting.

"I don't believe it!" Lorelai said, not answering either one of them.

"Don't believe what?" Sookie tried again.

"Let's go!" Lorelai said, pulling both of them to the door.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

The next thing they knew, they were driving up to the Inn.

"Oh my!" Sookie breathed.

"No. Way." Lorelai said, opened mouthed as they all got out of the van.

"What?" Luke asked going over to stand by Lorelai.

"We're back!" Sookie shouted.

"We're back!" Lorelai said beaming. Sookie took the keys and went inside.

"What?" Luke stood their still wondering.

"He finished it." Lorelai said, in amazement, "Not only that but it's back together the way it was before it was apart."

"What?" Luke inquired, dumbfounded.

"Nothing." Lorelai said, the shock was wearing off, "Kirk did it. I don't know how, but it's back to the way it was." Lorelai stood there staring at the pristine lawn in front of her.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_A Week (and one day) later…_

It was getting late the night Rory finally walked through downtown Stars Hollow. It was dark, but all the little lights on the trees were on so it kept it bright enough to see. She had a cab drop her off here because she wanted to be able to walk around and see everything before she headed home. Also, part of her really wanted to surprise her mom with this. She hadn't told her, in fact, since that night she last called her mom she had only been able to send a couple of e-mails in her spare time.

But it was nice, seeing the old town again and all. She walked past Taylor's Soda & Candy Shoppe, past Luke's—who's was dark—Rory could only assume it was later than she thought or maybe he was over at her mother's. She meandered past a few of the other shops until she got in front of Doose's Market. There she saw a trash bin and thought about it for a minute.

Seconds later she reached into her purse and pulled out her press I.D. and tossed it in the trash. She wouldn't be needing it anymore.

Then, as she stood there she heard voices coming from around the corner. At first she figured no big deal, just walk right past whomever and head on home; but the owner's of the voices stopped her cold.

"You're here." Dean said rather surprised.

"Duh, I called remember?" Jess said, mockingly.

"I know it's just… strange somehow." Dean replied. "So, Luke, how are things with you and him?"

"Good," Jess's short reply came, "he was a little suspicious of my reasons for coming I think."

"How is he? I haven't seen him in a while."

"Good, he's dating again."

"Really who?" Dean questioned.

"Lorelai."

"Oh."

"That's not the half of it; while I'm here I've been trying to solve his relationship issues too."

There was an awkward pause as if both knew what was coming next and yet would rather avoid it altogether.

"If it helps you were the last person I thought would call." Jess said recovering his nonchalant mood.

Dean laughed, "Yeah. Must have been pretty strange calling you like that… out of the blue about Rory no less."

Rory stood there, frozen. Her heart started to race and not just because she was sneaking around either, though that probably had been the initial cause. _What are they doing here? And why were they calling about me?_

Jess continued, "I'm glad you did though."

"Yeah," Dean replied, "I just figured I would want to know if that guy was treating Rory like crap and called."

"I told her Huntsberger was not good for her."

"Did you?" Dean asked, a little taken back.

"I saw her a few months ago around her birthday, and I can't say I was too convinced when I met him." He paused, "and I made sure she knew before I left."

Dean nodded in agreement. "I know what you're thinking." Jess said, as he looked at Dean.

Dean looked up trying to figure out what Jess was going to say next, "You find it amazing that a guy like me who put her through all that crap interesting that I would be so interested in protecting her."

"I used to believe that," Dean honestly admitted. "…till I did something far worse to her." He added leveling with Jess.

Jess knew what he was referring to. He knew and he wasn't going to ask. So, they stood there in silence unsure of what to say or do next. There was a lot of rocky ground between them over the years and even meeting like this was still a little to awkward for either of them.

Rory still stood there in the darkness. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and her heart kept racing at the thought of them standing here talking about her like this, not to mention they called each other about Logan, now here she was about ten feet around the corner and she was terrified of being caught—the last thing she wanted was to be more in the middle of this than she was.

"You should know…" Dean slowly began, "there's another reason I called."

Jess didn't say anything, though he was a little worried as to what the reason was.

"I called because I wanted to let you know that if you still want her…I won't interfere."

"What?" Jess asked amazed.

"You heard me." Dean tried brushing off the option of repeating what he just said.

"Don't you still…." Jess began, awkwardly leaving the end of that sentence hang.

"Love her?" Dean offered with a smirk on the one side of his face. "Of course I still love her. I always will. I think I always have. But I screwed up big time and she has no right to forgive me for that."

"What? And you think I've done better?"

"You didn't cheat with her!" Dean countered clearly upset at his mistake. "You've been a royal pain in something over the years," Dean admitted, "but you've shown you're more of a friend to her than I've been." He said, getting quieter.

"You know I don't deserve her either." Jess began to reply, but Dean slid one in there before he could finish.

"Maybe no one does?" Jess stopped to look at him as if he held the key to that mystery.

"You still love her…" Dean asked, "Right?"

"Of course I do." Jess replied.

Dean just nodded as if he knew all along. He smiled and turned to leave, Jess just watched mildly stunned by it all. "If you hurt her…" Dean called turning at one point.

"You don't have to finish that… I'll do it myself if I do." Jess replied.

Then Dean turned and walked away for good.

Meanwhile, Rory heard all of this and didn't know what to think. Then she heard a shoe scrape around the corner and in her panic she turned to leave and hit into the garbage can. She ran heading away from the town square not knowing exactly which direction she was headed towards.

Jess, on the other hand, heard the garbage can around the corner get hit by something and he went to check it out. As he got closer to the garbage can he saw clearly no one was there, but as he looked down he saw that there, on top of the trash lay some sort of card. So fishing it out, he picked it up, and saw Rory Gilmore's name and face looking back at him.

"Rory!" He whispered to himself before running down after her.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Rory kept on running… she ran for another ten minutes before she pulled out her phone to call another cab. And, an hour later, she returned back to the airport.

She just sat there, waiting. She didn't know what to do at this point. She hadn't bought a ticket, so she had no where to go. She didn't know whether to leave or to stay—where would she go anyway?

So, she sat there, curled up in one of the chairs waiting for something. She closed her eyes trying to relax herself, but she still thought about it. Then…

"Rory?"

She opened her eyes and saw Jess standing there in front of her.

Terrified, she planted her feet on the floor and made her way to leave…

But he grabbed her arm, "Rory?" he asked again.

"Just let me go." Rory said simply and he did. But as soon as she did she began to walk away from him.

"Rory? Rory, wait!" Jess called walking up behind her.

"Please just go," Rory pleaded trying to wave him off with her gesture as she continued to walk away. She made it outside of the front doors to the airport before he could say the next words.

"I know you heard us." Jess said.

She turned, waiting.

"How'd you know?" She asked sniffling.

"This." He replied, forcing her to look at him as he held up in a wordless reply her I.D.

She laughed in between another sniffle.

"What's so funny?" He asked as she sat down on one of the benches.

"This is what I came back home to? _This_ is why?" She asked to no one in particular.

He sat down next to her and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I was away… working." She said looking at him. She knew he probably didn't know anything about it so she rephrased, "An internship with an online reporting thing on Barack Obama. While I was there…" she sniffled again, "I felt like I had to come home, something wasn't right. I felt like I was missing a part of my life. Something was telling me to come home." She laughed adding, "And I came home for this." She said throwing her hands.

"Rory, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to overhear our conversation." Jess said rubbing her arm. "You have to know how I feel about you though." He said, sincerely.

Rory just turned away from him; she was really wishing she wasn't hearing this right now.

"We love you." He paused, "_I_ love you. And, maybe you're not ready to hear this right now," he said getting up, "but maybe you were missing something while you were away."

"Would it be so wrong to think that maybe that something… or at least part of that something" he corrected, "was love?"

She turned to look at him trying to fully take in what he was saying at the same time.

They met eyes before he spoke once more, "You know, I'll do anything Rory. I'll do anything you want me to—leave, call back Dean— except you know I'll probably cut out my heart shortly thereafter." He rambled a little jokingly, "but I'm serious. I'll do whatever you want, as long as you know how I feel about you." He finished leaving her card on her lap before he turned to leave.

He made it a few steps before someone called out behind him, "Wait!"

"I don't want you to go." She said looking down to her lap briefly before looking back at him, "I don't need this right now, and I know that. But if you're willing to give me a little time, I might be able to."

"That's all I wanted to hear." He said, smiling a little.

"You want a ride home?" He asked. "Or would that be a little too soon for that too?"

"No, that would be nice." She said getting up to follow him. "Thanks."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_A/n: Yes, well here it is. The moment all my Jess fans have been waiting for. Lol, I hope it was worth the wait. Good things in store for the next chapter… and by "good" well, it depends on you're definition of the word. But, trust me you'll enjoy it either way._

_Let me know what you think. _

_+ Columbo: Columbo is an old detective show where the investigator (Columbo) would go around to the suspects and ask so many questions that the suspects would eventually become annoyed with him. In this case, Luke is being so curious as well as annoying that Lorelai calls him Columbo._


	12. Away from Your Past but Following You

**Disclaimer: This… is the last time I will need to tell you this, (tear) but I do not own Gilmore Girls, or the song "Fall Away" by the Fray that has subsequently been used as both the title and as the chapter names. It was my muse for this story.**

_A/n: Here it is— the last chapter. I didn't think I'd get to it so soon, but I guess I did. I would also like to start out by saying thank you very much to all my reviewers throughout this entire story. You've helped me want to make this story the best it can be. __I never thought people would like this story as much as I did, but you've proven me wrong. Thanks for that!_

_So… I now bring you the very final chapter of Fall Away… Chapter Twelve_

_"And you... fall away from you're past. But it's following you now."-- The Fray._

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"What are we watching again?" Luke asked that very same night. He was over at Lorelai's— as she had asked him to spend a movie night together.

"I told you," Lorelai hollered from the kitchen, "The Fugitive."

"Who's in it again?" Luke shouted back as he stared at the TV screen with the DVD menu playing over and over— he was getting sick of it and would have done something to fix it except Lorelai had been mysteriously rummaging around her kitchen for the past several minutes and kept yelling at him to stay out.

He sat down; waiting for her to come out, but the DVD kept playing the same music over and over. Then he stood up. The music was driving him crazy!

Then there was a knock at the door. So Luke went over to the window to see who was at the door—they weren't expecting anyone. Then… he saw an unexpected sight.

There it was. His nephew—Jess was outside talking to Rory. _What was Rory doing back here? And why was Jess talking to her? Why were they outside… and who or what had knocked on the door?_ Luke had only begun to ask himself those questions when he saw Rory touch Jess on the arm. She smiled and picked up her bags now heading towards the door. He saw the corner of Jess' mouth turn watching Rory for a second before he got into his car and left.

Luke moved away from the window. He knew he had intruded on a private moment. And, whatever it was should be left between them—right? _Yeah, maybe_; he told himself.

While, he was glad things seemed to be cordial between the two of them—and that Jess seemed to be happy once again, he couldn't help but hope that Jess wouldn't mess it up. He had changed, Luke knew this. But it was going to take a while before the voice in his head stopped jumping to conclusions with the "new" Jess.

"You ready?" Lorelai called, her voice sounding louder as she got closer to the doorway.

Luke snapped out of it, and not wanting to draw attention to what he just witnessed and headed toward the couch. Finally, he sat down again just as she walked in.

"What are you doing?" he asked noticing her large assortment of packages and plates she had in her hands.

"Getting dinner." She replied as if that had been the most obvious question in the world.

"Where did you get it all?" He questioned.

"Oh you know…" she said, avoiding a direct answer as she attempted to put the things down on the table in front of her, "take out."

Luke grabbed the plates and laid them out saying, "I could have brought stuff."

"You always bring food; you've brought it the last few times." Lorelai said, almost complaining. "Can't I bring the food just once?" She said, scowling at him.

"Fine." He said, giving in.

"Wait you got this stuff…" He started to add, just as the doorbell rang. He didn't get to finish by adding that it came from the restaurant where Taylor had followed them two several weeks back. "Just think of it as my continued apology." She said, opening to door to find Rory staring back at her.

"Rory."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

As Jess has pulled up to her mother's house she found herself simply saying, "Thank you for the ride."

"No problem." He replied getting out of the car.

She got out and he opened his trunk to help her get her stuff. "Jess?"

"Yeah, Rory?" She heard him say, she was dumbfounded to see his eyes staring intently back at her.

"Why, are you here?" She asked, without even thinking about how it sounded.

"What?" He replied, confused because he knew she had heard his conversation with Dean an hour or so ago. So why was she asking?

"I mean…" Rory corrected, once she realized what she had asked, "Why did you come back?" Her head had added "for me" but the words couldn't come out.

Jess knew the answer. In fact, he knew what she meant to ask him, but this wasn't the time. He couldn't tell her until he knew how she felt about him.

"I guess it was just time."

Rory nodded, not desiring to press the issue further. She grabbed her last bag out of his trunk and he shut it afterwards.

"I meant what I said." She said after a moment or two. He looked at her wondering what she meant by that, "About thinking about it."

He just stood there in the grass unresponsive. She walked over touching him on the arm and said, "Thanks again." Then she picked up her bags and headed towards the door.

"I meant what I said too." He uttered only to himself, his mouth turning upward briefly. Then, watching her head up the walk he got back into his car and drove off.

Rory headed up to the porch and turned to see if Jess had actually left. Then as she made it to the door… she paused and thought over everything that had happened—with Jess and with work. Then her mind thought about her mom and after a rather large exhale she knocked on the door.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

The next day, Lorelai slept more soundly than she had in a while. She hadn't realized how poorly her sleep had even been until the next morning.

The morning she looked at her clock (which was when she realized she'd slept for like eleven hours) and headed downstairs to check up on Rory. Before she even got to her bedroom to see if Rory was still sleeping she heard a voice, "Hey there sleepy head."

"Oh you're up?" Lorelai said, seeing Rory sitting on the couch watching television.

"I thought you'd still be asleep."

"Nah uh," Rory said shaking her head slightly, "Did I mention that I had to get up every morning at like 5? Not to mention the time difference."

"No wonder you came home." Lorelai said, still slightly groggy.

"Ha. Ha." Rory said not amused.

"Hey, you want to Luke's for breakfast?" Lorelai asked.

"I've already eaten breakfast, but sure, I can't pass up a meal at Luke's." Rory said, rather cheerful.

Lorelai turned to head upstairs to change, but just then something made her turn around. "Hey, what's this?" Lorelai asked, heading back over to the TV.

Rory turned up the volume as they watched a news anchor share a story.

"Today a 92 year old woman ran her local 5k in just 45 minutes. What's more amazing than her age is that… only last year she broke her hip. She's been training for this ever since to get back in shape."

"Wow, that's incredible. That would be like one mile every 15 minutes." The other anchor replied for the benefit of the people watching.

The anchor's talked a little more about it before switching to their next story which was when Lorelai chimed in.

"That's impressive."

"You know I use to run the mile in 15 minutes back in middle school when we had to run…"

"Wow."

"Maybe it was more like 14. I don't know, but I think when I was done I got it down to maybe 12 or 13… or something like that." Rory said, trying to recall those days.

"You know all that tells me?" Lorelai said waiting quietly – which on retrospect would have been a clear sign that some sneaky behavior was going on.

"What?" Rory asked actually quite curious as to the response.

"That you run as fast as a 92 year old lady with a broken hip!" Lorelai said bursting out into laughter.

"I said 'I got it down to like 14 for sure maybe even 13 or something'." Rory said defensively.

"Uh huh." Lorelai said, assuming that Rory was trying to worm out of it, "Yeah right." She added, as she squinted her eyes in suspicion.

"Ugh!" Rory sighed as Lorelai went upstairs to change.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Hello," Lorelai called to Luke as she and Rory walked into the diner.

"Oh," Luke said as he finished writing down an order for Caesar, "hey!" he said seeing both Lorelai and Rory walk in.

"How are you doing?" he asked as Rory sat down.

"Good," Rory nodded, "Glad to be home."

"I bet you are." Luke said knowingly. "So what can I get you?" He asked generally to the both of them.

"I'll have a hamburger, pancakes, a side of onion rings, and of course coffee." She said, speedily firing out her order.

"And for you?" Luke asked, Rory.

"The 92 year old granny, Bilbo here," Lorelai interrupted for Rory, "We'll be having the second breakfast. I believe you're familiar with that?" Lorelai said staring from Rory to Luke. Rory made a face and Luke just stood there knowing he had encountered a private joke. "Very funny," Rory said dryly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lorelai added in mock fear of offending her, "She doesn't want second breakfast, I believe it's more like elevensies."

"Elevensies?" Luke asked as his eyebrow rose in confusion. He had almost since given up trying to understand Lorelai's jokes when she was like this.

"You know," Lorelai said as if obvious already, "Hobbits – Lord of the Rings— there's first breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, noon luncheon, afternoon tea…"

Luke just looked at Rory as if knowing she wanted something different, "The usual." Rory said.

"Dinner… supper!" Lorelai called after Luke started to walk away.

"You never quit." Rory said.

"No, I never do, Methuselah." Lorelai added.

Rory looked over and saw Jess smirking in the corner behind her.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"What's with the Lord of the Rings jokes?" Luke asked Rory a little while later. Lorelai had stepped outside to see what Kirk wanted and was outside currently.

"I had breakfast before we came." Rory said simply.

"And the 92? … Is that some part of that joke too?" Luke asked, curiously.

"She runs like a 92 year old woman." Lorelai interjected.

"What's this?" Luke asked, only half curious to actually find out.

"We saw a thing on the news where this lady ran a 5k race in 45 minutes." Rory cleared up for Luke's benefit.

"Wow, that's like a mile every 15 minutes right?" Luke asked.

"The thing was she was 92 and had a broken hip!" Lorelai smirked teasing Rory.

"So what?" Luke said, "A 15 minute mile is pretty good—that's how fast I run on average."

Lorelai started laughing. Luke and Rory just looked at each other for support. "You both run as fast as a 92 year old lady!" She broke out in laughter.

"So…" Luke asked, "How fast can you run a mile?"

Lorelai stopped laughing. They both stared at her waiting; she lowered her voice in hopes that they wouldn't hear her reply, "About twice that." But they DID hear it.

"So, that means what?" Rory said, for emphasis.

"That your mom runs as fast as a 184 year old woman?" Luke said smirking evilly before leaving their table.

"Hey! That's not funny!" Lorelai shouted after him.

Rory sat there forcing down a laugh. "Drink your coffee!" Luke called back.

Then, Lorelai turned, and saw Rory laughing hysterically.

"Oh, don't start." Lorelai pouted.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Luke?" Kirk hollered after he had sat down in a chair.

Luke came out a few minutes later from the Kitchen.

"Hey, Kirk." Luke said in his usual tone of voice. "What do you want?"

"I'll have you're help with nothing on it." Luke was about to write it down, but then stopped. He gave Kirk a curious look to which the reply, "You heard me," came.

"What's this about Kirk?" Luke said, not desiring the question to be answered, but asking it anyway.

"Can we talk here?" he asked Luke in a whisper.

Luke, on the other hand, looked around the place, "I think it's safe," he mocked slightly.

"It's about the election."

Luke made a mental note never to get into politics ever again and he was mentally rolling his eyes before he said, "What about it?"

"I've realized I don't want to run." Kirk said monotone.

Luke put his hands on his hips and sighed deeply, "Does Lorelai know about this?"

"No," Kirk replied, "I haven't told her yet."

"Well, I think you should go talk to her first." Luke said starting to walk away, trying to avoid being in the middle of yet another mess.

"I can't." Kirk said, following Luke back to the Kitchen.

"And why not?" Luke chided.

"Because, she's done so much for me already, I can't just tell her that." Kirk said, as Luke shooed him out of the kitchen.

"Tell me this," Luke said leaning on the diner counter, "why don't you want to run anymore?"

"Because I realize I've always had more than one job at a time." _That was an understatement_, Luke thought to himself.

"…I like getting new jobs, being available at any time for any need; I just realize then if I won that I'd have an actual job." Kirk said, slightly worried.

"Welcome to the rest of society, Kirk" Luke said throwing his hands in the air in emphasis.

"I just don't know," Kirk paused, "Running that much of the town has always been Taylor's thing."

"You know, I can't really help you." Luke said as Kirk just looked back blankly. "I can't tell you to drop out or not. Quite honestly, I want out of this whole mess. So I want nothing to do with it. But, you did get rid of the dogs."

"I did, didn't I?" Kirk told himself.

"Yes, you did. And people commented on it."

"They did?"

"Yeah, they did." Luke affirmed.

"And you took care of the town's water situation. Lorelai was very grateful for that."

"She was?" Kirk asked.

"To this day, I still don't even know how you did it." Luke commented.

Kirk thought about this for a minute, debating.

"Truthfully, I have another job." Kirk announced, a moment later— just as Luke thought he had gotten through to him.

"With who?!" Luke exclaimed.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"What's up Luke?" Lane asked walking in.

Luke, who was currently holding the phone to his ear, pulled the receiver end of the phone away from his mouth and said, "Hey, sorry to call you in like this."

"It's okay," Lane said, "What happened?"

"Caesar took off today which was just fine… until this afternoon…" Luke pulled the receiver back to his mouth, "Yes, yes… this is Luke Danes…"

Lane walked past him to the kitchen but as she passed him he mouthed, "Sorry." She smiled her acceptance and got to work.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Hey," Jess said as Luke walked in.

"Hi." Luke said, looking to Jess who was sprawled out on the couch reading something. "... Have you been up here all day?"

"No. I was out for a while. Don't you remember?" Jess said, sitting up.

"Oh yeah," Luke said, remembering, "It's been a long day." He said as he headed over to the fridge for a beer.

"I noticed you were on the phone a lot today. What was that about?" Jess asked as he put his magazine down and walked over to Luke.

"Oh, nothing. You don't want to get involved—trust me." Luke said knowingly.

Jess went back and sat back down on the couch. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you something." Luke said after a moment of forethought.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"What's up with you and Rory?" Luke asked.

Jess made no reply --not willing to give up the truth just yet. "I saw you two." Luke said until Jess looked at him like he'd been snooping. "I was at Lorelai's the other night when you dropped her off."

"Oh." Jess replied.

"Just…" Luke began, he continued when Jess looked at him, "don't break her heart. Be careful with her this time—will you?"

"Yeah." Jess replied more honestly than he had before.

There was a moment where neither of them spoke. Then Jess asked, "How's it going with you and Lorelai?"

"Good… I guess."

Jess looked at him questioningly, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We're still together. I mean things are good. We've been seeing each other a lot—it's good." Luke said, rather at a loss as how to explain it.

"You still want to marry her don't you?" Jess asked a little bluntly.

Luke didn't affirm or deny that statement; he just gave Jess a look that asked him how he came to that conclusion.

Jess, on the other hand, returned the look with one of I have my ways of knowing.

"Take her out."

"What?" Luke asked.

"Here," Jess said, "I have a plan."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Lorelai, you got a couple of calls." Sookie said, as Lorelai straightened up the living room of the Inn.

"Who are they from?" Lorelai asked as she stopped.

"One…" Sookie began.

"…was from me." Rory finished.

Lorelai turned, to see Rory standing behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Lorelai asked.

"Covertly checking up on you."

"Ah there's my little, James Bond in training." Lorelai said hugging Rory as she went to stand next to her.

"Actually…"

"What? James Bond is giving up his cover?!" Lorelai exclaimed.

Rory and Sookie rolled their eyes then Rory continued, "I wanted to tell you that I talked to Grandma and Grandpa. And, since I'm back, they invited us to come to come over for dinner tomorrow. If that would be okay with you?" Rory asked.

"Do I have to come?" Lorelai said jokingly.

"Mom!" Rory said sourly.

"I'm kidding, I'd love to spend another weekday with Emily Gilmore sometimes known as Magneto and more commonly known as Lex Luthor."

"You want me to tell you your second message?" Sookie asked, before Lorelai could continue her rant.

"Go ahead."

"Luke called, and he wants to know if you're free to go out tonight." Sookie said, smiling.

"Did he say when?" Lorelai asked.

"I don't know… I don't remember." Sookie said a little apologetic.

Lorelai shrugged, "It's alright I'll call him back."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_Later that day…_

It was 6 in the afternoon, and although voting had been going on all day, most of the town hadn't shown up until now. There was an hour left for voting and everyone was in line waiting to vote.

"Okay everyone," Miss Patty announced, "the time has come to cast your vote for town selectman."

Everyone had gathered outside the place they had their town meetings to vote. One by one people went in to drop their ballot in one box or the other. Taylor and Kirk stood outside waiting. Kirk was nervous and so was Taylor.

"Good people…" Taylor spoke up suddenly, "Fellow townsmen and townswomen of Stars Hollow." Everyone looked at each other trying to figure out what was going on, "Today you vote, not only to see who will be in charge, but the future of our small town. And I just want to let you know that, no matter who you vote for. I will still be ready to step in at any point in time for guidance, direction, and …" Taylor paused trying to think of something else to add, but on thinking of nothing he finished, "well you know. Thank you."

"Can I switch my vote?" Jackson asked Miss Patty.

"He's kidding right?" Luke asked standing behind Lane and Zach, to Lorelai, who had been standing behind him replied, "Does anyone ever know the answer to that?"

Lane & Zach turned and laughed with Luke and Lorelai.

"Oh, sorry what'd I miss?" Rory said running over to her mom. "Here." Lorelai said moving so Rory could squeeze between her and Luke in line.

"Thanks."

"Where were you?" Lane asked.

"Oh, sorry. Grandma called me." Rory stated.

"Emily called you?" Lorelai asked.

"What did she want?" Lane asked peering around Luke & Zach.

"Ever since she found out I was back she keeps calling. I don't know."

"I thought you had caller ID on that thing?" Lorelai said.

"I do." Rory replied turning to her mother as the line progressed forward a few spaces.

"Well, then why don't you use it?"

"I do use it. How do you think I know to say 'Hello, mom' when I pick up the phone?" Rory whispered loudly.

"No, that's not using it." Lorelai retorted.

"How is that not?" Zach asked.

"Because her using it, would imply knowing not to pick up the phone when it says 'Emily Gilmore' on it." Lorelai replied.

"Mine says, 'Grandma'." Rory announced.

Luke shifted his weight and moved up before replying, "Cell phones are just a darned nuisance if you ask me. If you don't want people calling you get rid of the phone."

"Now that's what I'm talking about." Zach interrupted. Lane just gave him a look in response.

"She can't do that." Lorelai replied.

Luke turned to face her, "And why not?"

"Move up," Lorelai said, as they all moved, "What if I really need to call her? Or she would need to call for help? What if it was a life or death situation… or I need milk?"

"How do the two of those correlate?" Rory asked.

"Never mind." Lorelai replied.

"I'm with the kid," Luke added, "How does needing milk even wind up in the same thought as a life or death situation?"

"Next!" Miss Patty shouted as Lane went in.

Lorelai pouted for a second, "You know I guess you really have to be in the same mind set to understand."

"Rory doesn't even get it!" Luke said.

"It's true," Rory added.

Lane came out moments after and Zach went in.

"So are we still on for later?" Lorelai asked Luke.

"Yeah." Luke said, replying to her face.

"How do the two of those correlate?" Rory asked kidding. She got a look from her mom and a smirk from Luke before, "Next," was uttered from Miss Patty's lips.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

About an hour and a half had gone by, they – and by they I mean Miss Patty, Jackson, and Henry – had been tallying the votes.

Then, Miss Patty came out with the scores, and Jackson followed.

"The votes have been tallied … and the new town selectman of Stars Hollow is…"

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

It was nine o'clock, the time Luke told Lorelai he'd be at her house to pick her up for their date.

"Hey, come in." Rory said opening the door for Luke, "She's almost ready."

He walked in and Rory went back to the couch.

"Luke, hey!" Lorelai said as she came down the steps, "Can you do me a favor and help me with this?" she said handing him a necklace.

"Uh, sure." He said as she turned around and lifted her hair out of the way.

He put the necklace around her neck and carefully clasped the necklace around her throat.

"Thanks," she smiled once he had finished.

"Sure." He softly replied.

"Have a nice time." Rory called as Lorelai picked up her purse off the back of the couch.

"Don't wait up." Lorelai called back teasing.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"So where are we going?" Lorelai asked as Luke drove.

Luke just replied secretively with a, "You'll see."

They drove a few more minutes and Lorelai noted the direction they were taking—the only thing was it didn't make sense.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they turned into the center of town.

At first he didn't reply—leaving her to wonder, yet another dangerous thing for Lorelai Gilmore to do.

Now, she was sure he was taking her to the diner, or some other "Luke-esq" thing to do. It didn't help that they drove right in front of it or that Luke was parking the truck right outside of it. She was completely sure she knew where they were going.

"Luke?" she asked as he stepped out of the truck.

"Are you going to get out?" He said as she hadn't even unbuckled her seat belt by the time he was out of the truck.

"What?"

"Come on." He said walking a few feet towards the diner.

She got out and walked to where he was standing, waiting for her. However, as she reached his side, she turned and took a step towards the diner.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked, in a lost-in-translation kind of way.

"Uh?" Lorelai said noticing he was headed in the very opposite direction, she looked down at her foot as if just realizing how awkward the situation was, and babbled a "Oh nothing, being strange like Monk—or maybe one of those guys from the office." As she hurried to catch up with him.

"Who?" He asked.

"Never mind, wrong audience." Lorelai replied, still attempting to cover up her embarrassment.

He led her over towards the direction of the gazebo and she still had no idea what was in store for her. They were almost to it when he caught sight of her eying him in suspicion. He gave an illusive yet knowing look in reply and they kept walking, then… they passed the gazebo.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

On the other side, she found that a picnic had been set up on the ground with a brown wicker basket and a rose on top. There was a gleaming silver ice bucket and a couple glasses on the lawn. But that wasn't all—it wasn't just any picnic in the square—there were candles … lots of candles.

"What is this?" Lorelai asked in amazement as she looked at the many candles and candelabras that were spread out all over the back of the square. "What's it look like? Come on, sit." He said, as if this entire gesture had been nothing at all.

She stood a moment longer taking in this beautifully scenic moment before she sat down quite taken by it all and asked, "What did you do? Become part owner of a Yankee Candle Store?" She asked still unable to even comment on how romantic it was.

"Hardly," Luke replied with a raise of his eyebrows. "Here," he said handing her the long stemmed red rose off the top of the basket. She hardly found the nerve to reach out and take it from him—it all seemed so surreal, like one of those perfect dates you spend your entire life dreaming about, and wait forever to see. Even going to France with Christopher almost hardly compared to this.

In France they had been nearly broke… they were still in France, but without money they couldn't really enjoy it quite as much as they planned.

She began to stare at him, and then the rose. Finally, when she gathered enough nerve to take it from him, he began to take the food out of the basket, placing it in front of them. She couldn't say anything.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"I don't believe you did all this." Lorelai said after they had finished their meal—amazingly food and a little wine had cured her inability to speak.

"Why not?" Luke asked.

"Because, it's just amazing. I mean, who expects something like this—for all I knew we were eating at your place."

"Well, I'm glad you like it." Luke smiled.

Then he thought about what she had just said, "Is that was that was earlier back at the…?" he said stifling laughter.

She playfully hit him before adding, "Thank you—for everything." She said, looking from him to the candles around them as if in a trance.

"I love you."

"What?" She said turning her head.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_A/n: Okay, so I left you a few cliffhangers… well, okay, three to be exact. Hopefully you won't hate me for doing that to all of you. I know it's absolutely cruel… with Luke saying that to Lorelai, and the hope of Jess reuniting with Rory… and what happens with Kirk and Taylor…. It's just mean not telling you how everything turns out. But, hey there's writing for you. There can be no satisfaction if everything is explained all at once._

_By the way the "running as fast as a 92 year old lady" story did in fact happen! I saw the news report with my mom a few weeks ago and she didn't stop teasing me about it. (lol) So, I decided it was funny enough to add to the final chapter._

_I am going to miss not writing this particular story, which okay seems kind of odd but somehow strangely true. You may be wondering why I've decided to end a good story now, but that's because there are no more lyrics to Fall Away for me to use, (as it was my muse for this story). But, most likely the next story will be called something like, "This is the Time", "Rising from the Ashes", or "Time of My Life"… I don't know which just yet. And hopefully, with any luck you'll soon see the sequel after this is posted._

_Finally, thanks to: Jeremy Shane, PeterPanTinkerBell27, Curley-Q, OTHlover04, and like2CUhappy24-7 for the reviews on chapter 11._

_And to everyone:_

_Thanks again for the alerts, reviews, messages, and favorites to Fall Away. Writing the story was of great help to me (in many ways), and I had a lot of fun finishing it up this summer. But, so long for now._

_Hope to hear from you in the sequel._

_--Vanessacarltonfan_


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